Between The Lines
by Fear the unicorn
Summary: [AU] Life is like a book, you must read between the lines so when Ino finds herself pregnant because of her lazy best friend she has some searching of her own to do. Shikamaru x Ino
1. Chapter 1

The age old saying _read between the lines _wasn't helping her now. There were two pink lines staring her back in the face. She willed it to change. Ino rubbed her eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time. The pink lines still remained. This wasn't a fluke, she had three pregnancy tests to prove it. She was ready to scream, if her mother wasn't on the other side of the door, pounding.

"You've been in there for hours, my bladder is about to explode." hissed through the door. Ino definitely got her temper from her mother. Ino swung the door open, eyebrow raised in irritation. The pregnancy tests stuck uncomfortably in her bra. She wasn't ready to tell anyone, and she wouldn't have to. She knew a place to go. No shame or judgement attached. Not a soul in her prestigious village would know.

"What on earth were you doing in there?" Her mother questioned, lips pursed in a thin line. Ino also got her persistent nosiness from her.

"My mascara kept clumping." Ino answered with a roll of the eyes. Ino was the definition of a perfectionist. Her high ponytail never leaned on one side, her grades in school were superb, her milky skin was flawless, her stylish outfits were picked a night ahead to allow plenty of time in the morning for Ino to groom herself, she was never late, and she had a squeaky clean permanent record. She prided herself on her appearance, so her mother wouldn't question her excuse.

"I'm sure Sai will find you more attractive if you keep yourself natural. Men don't like women all made up you know." Her mother scolded. Ino noted the similarity to that of the advice her best friend gave her. Although Ino was beginning to think best friend wasn't the correct term to use anymore. He betrayed her when she was vulnerable. How could he be her best friend anymore?

Ino gave a grunt of acknowledgment and brushed past. Her mother was a classy woman and passed on all her ways to her daughter, in the most annoying way; a trait only the Yamanakas could get away with.

"I'm going out for awhile mom!" Ino called as she exited the house. Ino didn't care that she wore only black leggings and an oversized pale pink hoodie. Ino couldn't remember buying them. Her wardrobe was bright and artsy, how she described herself. Her usually bright pale hair seemed to dull with Ino's mood. Of course she knew she had a fifty-fifty shot of getting pregnant, so she should have expected the worst.

Ino refused to be a mother. She was only sixteen after all. Her baby would be better off with probably anyone else. But she couldn't let anyone know. The town she lived in was a small one, so gossip spread like wildfire. Ino would forever be stapled as a screw up. A village like hers would never accept her. She could forget about the social life she strived to build. Even the people she stepped on to get to the top would outcast her.

There were a few that would stand by her. Hinata would, probably in secret. Not because she cared about popularity at school, but because her family would never allow it. The Hyugas were the richest family in the town and made sure their title was known. Sakura was debatable, popularity blinded her in the past after all. Choji would gladly stay by her side. They were best friends since the were in diapers. He never took to her heart all the times she ditched him in favor of a party. Choji wasn't exactly popular among their peers. For reasons as superficial as appearances. He had the largest heart to match his appetite. Ino could never understand why Choji was so forgiving of her, she certainly would not forgive so easily if the roles were reversed.

Shikamaru was a different story. Yes he was her dearest friend, and yes he was always the first to stand up for her. There was no doubt he would be there for her. He always took care of his friends- Ino included. The question was if Ino wanted him to be there for her. Ino knew if anyone in their town could make a name for themselves, it would be him. He was the greatest success the village ever knew. His IQ was over 200 and he could master any talent. Ino forced him to try his hand at guitar, baseball, football, photography, and so much more; he was amazing at all of them. The problem was he hated any kind of work or commitment, if only he had ambition. If he ever knew he was going to be a father at sixteen, there was no chance of him achieving anything. Ino couldn't hold him back. So that's why he will never know.

Ino was dating Sai, and even though he wanted something more, Ino was hesitant. Ino had been crushing on Sai since sophomore year when he moved to town. He went to an all boys boarding school so the girl department wasn't his forte. Even so with much effort and time he agreed to a date. Now its junior year and Ino finally believes he's got the hang of romance. She knew when she was ready. Her body was hers and she wouldn't give it away that easily. Sai never pushed the subject too far. He never pushed anything at all. Ino wondered if he felt anything with her at all. Shikamaru makes sure to remind Ino of these concerns. It wasn't his business in the first place anyway!

_You know he probably doesn't even know what love is. _

_Don't you think you deserve something better?_

_You're so naive Ino._

_ Sai's fine and all, but is he what you want, really?_

_He's not so special, he's not special at all. _

_When he breaks your heart, I'm going to say I told you so. _

_You're troublesome and emotional. He's emotionless._

Ino found all his constant remarks unnecessary and made sure he knew it. He never had a girlfriend so how on earth does he know how relationships work? Women are too troublesome to him. Everything is troublesome to him. All he does is sleep and whine. If he tried so hard to stay away from drama then why does he always stick his nose in other's personal business. Ino knew the reason. He cares about his friends above all else. He would never touch a pillow again if it would ensure their safety.

Ino figured out most of his complexity. He needs someone to protect, not like the princess in fairytales. In fact he would despise the princess he would have to rescue. His way of protecting is subtle. He makes sure to walk Ino home if it's dark. Ino knows he'd much rather be at home sleeping than walk an extra fifteen minutes. Still he does so even when she assures him she'll be fine.

"If I let you get yourself home alone and you were hurt by some drunk perverts I wouldn't forgive myself," Was his answer whenever she questioned his motives. He spoke with the same bored monotone as always. Of course Ino reminded him of how sheltered their neighborhood was so the chance of "drunk perverts" lurking around wasn't likely. He's a genius so he must know that, if so why does he bother?

Shikamaru isn't one to start a fight, but he makes sure no one wrongs one of his friends. If that means he has to throw a punch or two then he'll do it, but not without several complaints. While Ino could only count on one hand the amounts of fights Choji had gotten into, if that was the correct term for them. He couldn't harm a fly, usually. Ino could triple that amount for her lazy friend. Naturally he shrugged them off and would never count them as fights, troublesome business was his word. Finding out about those two pink lines would be considered troublesome business too.

The place Ino was heading off to was in the next door village. Ino hated to admit that she had failed her driving test twice already. It wasn't her fault Sakura called about a fashion disaster twice, it was Ino's job to fix these things. Ino's mother would never approve of Ino's decision. The idea to ask someone else for a ride was mortifying. She still had to walk to the bus stop and wait. Ino silently prayed no one would spot her. She was slumped forward with her head in her palms. She must've looked miserable. She did feel miserable so why bother hiding it?

The wait for the bus gave her nothing to do but think. Her mind raced with all the knowledge she learned in sex ed. If she had listened to the teacher back then she wouldn't be her problem now. They told her that once a woman gets pregnant they had three options; become a parent, adoption, or abortion. She already dismissed becoming a parent . Ino figured the easy way out was abortion. She was going to an abortion clinic after all. Still she couldn't shake the idea of killing it. But she wouldn't have a mess to clean up after.

Six weeks had gone by already, surely the baby's grown at least a little. Instinctively Ino touched her belly. Naturally there were no signs but Ino could sense it, maternal instinct likely. "Only mothers get maternal instinct. Great now I'm talking to myself." Ino hissed. Ino was so focused on pushing baby thoughts out of her mind that she didn't notice the blue Chevrolet park in front of her. She didn't notice it honking at her until about the fifth honk. Her head sprang up, sending her platinum bangs into her eyes. She made a mental note to fix her ponytail later. Her doll-like eyes landed on her chubby best friend. His eye brow was raised and his auburn eyes filled with concern.

"Something wrong?" He questioned. By then he had already stepped out of his prized vehicle. It was his sweet sixteen present that his entire family chipped in to pay for. As the only one out of their trio that could drive, the car was essentially split three ways. Shikamaru was too lazy to take the test and Ino had failed her last two attempts.

"Nope, nothing at all. Everything's great. Just great, absolutely fantastic!" Ino responded with fake enthusiasm, she knew the nervous laughter gave her away. Choji gave her a puzzled look before gesturing to the passenger side to get out. Shikamaru obliged silently. He stood their stoically, taking in her sloppy hair, drab clothing, and slumped stance. His dark eyes were unreadable until they focused onto his shoes where Ino couldn't see them.

"I didn't know you owned something so...gloomy."he finally said, his monotone heavy. Ino rolled her eyes at his remark. The silence hung in the air until the sound of a car door opening alerted her. Shikamaru was holding the back door open for her with an expression of _get in_ and _man your troublesome_. Choji seemed to know what his lazy friend was thinking and returned to the driver's seat. Ino could see the patience draining out of Shikamaru as his foot began to tap. With an appreciative smile Ino entered the Chevrolet. Shikamaru closed the door and appeared next to Choji.

"Is your seatbelt on Ino?" Choji questioned. "Yes captain." Ino mocked with a salute even though her friends couldn't see it. Choji turned and frowned at his less prepared friend.

"It's not like we'll get in an accident anyway since you go ten miles an hour." Shikamaru huffed with his arms crossed. "I'm not driving this car until your seatbelt is on." Choji declared. Ino could see both of them smirking at each other through their fake stare off.

"You do know we can't stay parked in front of a bus stop right?" Ino chirped in. She felt better with her two boys, maybe she could put off her plan for the day. There wasn't anything that made her happier than spending time with them. She never got old of Shikamaru's witty commentary or of Choji's exaggerated stories. Still she couldn't help but feel insecure with them sometimes. She never understood why they put up with her antics and her unreliableness at times. They were always there for her, but it was like she was never needed by them. Sure she'd given a black eye or two before because someone insulted Choji's weight. Yes she made Shikamaru's lunch everyday because he was too lazy to pack it. But compare those to all the times Ino poured her heart out on the phone at midnight to Choji or when Shikamaru took on Sasuke Uchiha, star of every single athletic team, because he called her a tease. She was just an extra burden to them, not someone to count on. And if her two best friends couldn't count on her, then how could a baby?

"So what's got you so down today?" Shikamaru questioned. Ino didn't realize they had started driving and had reached their destination, the cinema. It was their signature hot-spot other than the BBQ place at the edge of town.

"Just thinking." She shrugged in response. She blew her bangs out of her pale eyes and strode towards the building. "You know walking alone in a parking lot is one of the leading causes of kidnapping!" Shikamaru called after her. She turned around with her hands planted on her hips, "Why do you always resort back to worst case scenarios?" She questioned.

"Just want you to be aware of these things." He smirked and Choji nodded in agreement. Ino flipped her ponytail and continued towards the building. "What movie are we seeing?" She called back, not waiting for them to match her quick pace.

"Well we were going to pick you up earlier to go see Hocky Horror Picture Show again since you had so much fun last time. The theatre was insane though." Choji replied happily.

"What's the point of having the movie if people intentionally talk over it?" Shikamaru asked.

"It's the funny part about it. The movie itself sucks, it's the experience that everyone goes for. Like listening to Damnit Janet is boring normaly but when everyone calls out 'lets go screw' instead of I love you, the experience is much more entertaining." Ino explained. She loved going to rerun showings of the cult favorite, but dragging along her clueless boys was so much more fun than going alone. Still Ino couldn't help but realize she always made them do things for her. She should do more things for them and she was determined to see this new goal through.

"But, we really don't have to see it. I know you guys would prefer not to. We have plenty of movies at our houses and that way we wouldn't have to spend any money." Ino offered as her fingertips touched the door handle.

"Besides what's the point of buying three tickets for a movie only one person wants to watch." She continued and withdrew her hand.

"We could squeeze in three movies, one for each of us." Choji added taking in the idea. He enjoyed the idea of anything free after all.

"I'm in." Their lazy friend piped in from behind them. Choji and Ino turned towards their friend eagerly, glad he was on board. Ino looped her arms through their's and led them to the car.

"I have the most movies." Choji concluded and that was how it was decided they would go to his house. Ino couldn't remember being in his house since freshman year, usually they hung out around town or at Shikamaru's. It was a very loving environment. Choji's dad stepped up as a father figure to both Ino and Shikamaru after their fathers passed away. They were police partners that did everything together, even die. Choji's mom always had the best sweets for Ino whenever she did come to their home. Choji's mom was out shopping while his dad was working at their diner downtown.

"We can all pick a movie to watch." Choji explained as he led them to the movie cabinet. It was full with every genre of movie. Choji had already chosen his film, Anchorman. Comedies were is favorite movie type and Will Ferrel was one of his favorite actors, making the movie one of his favorites. Shikamaru grabbed his movie quickly, Friday the 13th. Deep down he was a horror movie junkie. Choji frowned at the choice, he _didn't_ enjoy horror films.

"Do you watch any other movies except horrors?" He questioned.

"I watch plenty of types, I only enjoy horrors." The pineapple head shrugged in reply. Ino realized it was her turn. Naturally she'd pick her all time favorite The Notebook, the story and Ryan Gosling made her swoon. Choji and Shikamaru both bought their own copies of the film for when she hung over with them. She remembered to be kinder so instead she searched through the titles. She wanted both of them to be happy with her choice. But comedy and horror don't usually go together. Her ice blue eyes scanned the cabinet again until she found the film she needed. Ino plucked it off the row it was in and placed it with the others.

"Scream?" Both boys asked in unison.

"Yep, it's the perfect horror classic but it's humor makes it stand out." Ino explained with a triumphant grin. Sure she movie wasn't her type, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. She took her seat in the middle of the sofa and crossed one leg over the other. Both her friends shot her skeptical looks but said nothing. Choji placed his movie in first.

"It's not movie night without popcorn." Choji announced and headed towards his large kitchen. Shikamaru took a seat beside lno and stretched his arm over the couch behind her. Ino bit her bottom lip nervously hoping for Choji to return. She didn't want to be left alone with him again. He bent his head so their foreheads touched and whispered,"what's wrong?" so softly Ino wasn 't sure if he had actually said it or if she imagined it. Ino shut her eyes and shook her head before pulling away. She couldn't tell him now, not until she knew was between those two pink lines.


	2. Chapter 2

Ino looked to either side of her and saw that both her friends had fallen asleep. Ino had been drifting throughout the last movie as well. Choji had fallen asleep with an iron grip on the pillow he grabbed during the first horror film. Shikamaru's head rested on the end of the couch. Ino noted how soft his expression was compared to how cold it usually was. There was a faint smile on his lips. He's probably having a good dream. Not wanting to wake either boy up Ino crept off the couch as silent as she could. Being quiet wasn't her forte after all. Her house was only a few blocks away so she wasn't worried about walking alone tonight. She slipped on her shoes and opened the door slowly, hoping to avoid creaking. Once the gap was big enough for her to step through she was out in the night.

The street was well lit which made Ino relived. The sky was clear of clouds and Ino could gaze at the stars. Stargazing was her favorite hobby and she did it every night she could. Ino found the Big Dipper and orian's belt as she walked down a street of shops. They were all closed but Ino could see the merchandise through the window. She passed by her favorite bakery that Shikamaru took her to all the time. She passed her favorite boutique that could always flatten her wallet. Ino was in front of the ramen shop when her phone blared. Ino already knew who was calling her. For the past six weeks she ignored this calls and made up flimsy excuses for it later. But Ino knew ignoring him now would worry him. Then he'd draw assumptions that something happened to her. Ino didn't want him to become overprotective of her like he usually became when he felt she was threatened.

"What is it Shikamaru?" Ino asked letting her agitation show.

"Where the hell are you?" He questioned with a tone Ino never heard before. It was some mix of frustration, annoyance, and concern.

"Walking home. Where did you think I was?"

"I'm coming, stay where you are and keep the line on." His bitter tone ordered. Ino half wanted to leave just to annoy him. Her soft eyes wandered the street, waiting for him to sulk in. She slumped on a bench and sighed. She hugged the thick material of her sweatshirt tighter around herself. She didn't feel nervous walking at night, but now waiting she felt a knot in her stomach. Ino swore she saw a figure in the alley. Ino reminded herself about how safe their neighborhood was and Shikamaru only told her otherwise to scare her.

Then she felt something cover her eyes from behind her. She registered it as a hand quickly. At first she thought it was a joke from her friend, but his hands didn't feel like this one did. Shikamaru had slim and slightly callused hands while this one was thick and meaty. Her body went rigid and her phone slipped out of her hand with a soft thud. She was about to scream but no sound came out. Panic rushed through her like a waterfall but she felt frozen.

Then she heard her name being called through the phone. She remembered that the phone line was still on. Ino could tell Shikamaru was running as he called her name. Her body lurched forward and it took a minute to process that the person blinding her was leaning forward as well. His frame was large she guessed by the weight bringing her down. She could tell that his arm stretched down and plucked the phone off the ground. Then her petite frame was pulled back into a tense sitting position.

"You know when most people lose their sight their whole body is paralyzed in fear?" A low husky voice questioned. Ino felt his breath on her neck as he whispered, "isn't that right sweetheart?" He was probably a smoker, Ino inferred by his tone. Or maybe an alcoholic. Either way it sent chills down her spine. Ino felt tears cling to her eyelashes but refused to let them go. She shut her eyes tightly even though she already couldn't see.

The response was crystal clear, not staticky like through a phone, Ino knew Shikmaru was close, close enough that she could hear every drop of seriousness in his threat ,"And did you know that if you lay a finger on her I'll break every bone in your body."

Her captor attempted to pull her up off the bench but Ino's fingers were glued to the edge of it. He pulled harder but she clung even harder. Ino sensed Shikamaru's footsteps getting closer and soon she was aware he was in front of her.

"Let her go." Shikamaru growled through gritted teeth. The hand fell from her eyes and she heard footsteps backing away quickly. Her baby blue eyes were still glued shut even after she knew she was safe. She felt his hand take her smaller one and eased her up.

"Open your eyes silly." He said finally with an unusual softness. Shikamaru felt his lips twitched upwards as her eyes fluttered open. They met with his deep brown pair. That same pair of eyes took in his friend. The moonlight cast a pale glow on her that brought out her light hair and the light blush that spread across her luminous face. Her face still as fresh and angelic as it was when he first met her. He always teased her about how she looked so innocent on the outside but was a little devil on the inside. Then his eyes locked with hers again, he loved her eyes. The pale blue was a shade no one else had and her eyes had a never ending twinkle in them.

"I told you there were creeps hanging around at night." He snapped once he realized he had been staring a bit too long. His face went emotionless again and he closed himself off again.

"I guess I belive you now." Ino agreed with a bit of nervous laughter. She always neglected his warnings and advice until it was too late. Today was no exception. She also knew he was going to use this day as an example for any of his other lectures.

"What were you thinking? You know I hate it when you walk alone when it's dark. You must 've known I'd be worried since I remind you practically everyday!" Shikamaru demanded and placed a hand on her shoulder. Ino looked down at her feet realizing that he made perfect sense. It wasn't worth it to walk alone. She knew he and probably Choji would have scolded her the next day. She could only imagine their faces when they woke up without her.

"I didn't want to wake you up." She whispered with guilt. She knew her reason was pathetic now. She dared to catch a glance at his face but it was the same as usual. His hand was still holding hers. She liked the feeling. His hand was warm and engulfed hers in that secure warmth.

"You should be glad I did!"

"Of course I am! But maybe if you didn't make me wait for you this wouldn't have happened. I was fine when I was walking alone." She spat back. She didn't want to be lectured by him. All she wanted was to be at home safe in her bed. So before he could respond back she pulled away from him and said, "So are you walking me home or not." With her hand on her hip.

"Just answer one question for me, were you scared?" Shikamaru questioned, his voice was softer, almost vulnerable. Ino didn't know how to answer the question. She was terrified, but she wasn't sure if you should say it. She didn't want Shikamaru to get upset. But he probably knew the answer already, he wanted her to admit it.

Ino turned to face him," Yes, I was scared at first. But when I heard you I knew you were coming so I was able to calm down."she answered and felt her cheeks flush again. Shikamaru only nodded and began walking down the street. Their walk was in silence until they were only a block away. Thats when Shikamaru turned to face his best friend.

"I know you probably hate me and I don't blame you. However I never want you to put yourself in danger like that ever again. I care about you so don't ignore me when you're in trouble." He said. She'd never know that his heart stopped three times that evening. Once when he woke up without her, second when she waited too long to answer her phone, and when he heard the phone drop. He had never ran so fast in his life. Ino would never know how his heart raged when he saw her helplessly in danger. She'll never know how the image of her paralyzed in fear would haunt him. She would never know the daggers he shot her captor and how his fists clenched at his sides. She didn't see his eyes darken or his jaw clench. She would never know the guilt he would've felt if he was too late.

"I'm mad at you, but I don't hate you. It wasn't exactly just your fault after all." She shook her head in response with a small smile. She liked smiling, it made her happy and everyone around her happy. But lately smiling has been too hard for her. How could she smile when she was so conflicted with herself.

"Can things go back to how they were _before_?" He asked with his eyes focused on the pavement.

"I think...they can." Ino answered with hesitation. She wanted to get on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around her tall friend's neck and assure him they'll be fine.

"Maybe we can go to the bakery tomorrow like we used to." He replied and scratched the nape of his neck.

"I'd love that." Ino answered back sweetly. Then she tugged his arm down the street to her house. The lights were still on so Ino knew her mother was waiting for her. Ino loved her mom but sometimes Ino really wished she wasn't so paranoid. Ever since her father died Ino's mom became paranoid about her safety. She didn't wantbyo lose the only family she had left. But Ino didn't need another person to be protective of her, she already had plenty. And when people knew she was pregnant, she'd probably have a bodyguard at all times.

Shikamaru watched as she bounced up to the front door but stopped at the handle. Before he could blink she was back in front of him.

"I never thanked you." She replied to his unasked question.

"Didn't need to." He shrugged in return. Ino nodded with a larger smile than before and went back to the door.

"Pick me up at noon." She ordered back.

"Why so early?" Shikamaru groaned.

"Because I said so and you always did what I said _before_." She giggled and went inside.


	3. Chapter 3

Ino never felt more nervous about picking an outfit before. It wasn't like she was going on a date with Shikamaru. She was still dating Sai after all. Ino had kept her secret from everyone and was planning to keep it that way. She saved all the money she made from her mother's flower shop and even took extra shifts so she could pay for her first ultrasound. She also had to pay for prenatal vitamins. The expenses were piling up and Ino wasn't sure how long she could keep up her secret.

She tossed aside another top and dug deeper into her closet. She wanted to be as modest as possible, without him being suspicious. She still wasn't sure what came over them that night. Maybe she accidentally seduced him, but what did she do? Her outfit wasn't sexy and her mannerisms were the same as usual.

_Shikamaru was at risk of failing junior year since he was nearly failing every class. He skipped class and never did work. It wasn't that he was dumb, he was actually a genius capable of acing every class if he wanted. However putting forth any effort was too troublesome. His mother decided he needed a push and thought Ino would be the best motivator. So that's why Ino came over to try and tutor him. Shikamaru was smart enough to figure out there was an ulterior motive, but didn't care. After all it gave him more time to see his best friend. _

_Ino smoothed her black skirt and knocked on his front door. She was greeted by his signature half asleep expression. Ino welcomed herself in and dropped her bag containing all her textbooks. _

_"Your mom isn't home?" She observed as she took in the empty house. It was a rather large house especially with only two people living in it. It was like a second home to Ino since she spent so many times there. The extra bedroom was essentially hers. She had spare clothes and other items there. She was even allowed to paint it the color of her choosing. Shikamaru talked her out of lavender after he reminded her it wasn't just her room. So she chose sky blue to match her eyes. _

_"Nah she's out with the other moms, girl's night out I guess." He shrugged in response and while she took in the house he took in her. Her long sleeve pale blue sweater complimented her eyes beautifully. It was a bit tight for a sweater and hugged her curvaceous figure. Her simple black skirt was a nice contrast to her sweater. Her black tights made her legs look leaner and longer. By then she had already taken off her black boots. Her pale blonde hair was in her signature ponytail tied with a black ribbon. Her makeup was either very light or she wasn't wearing any at all. Shikamaru thought she looked radiant. Shikamaru wondered if he should've worn something nicer. His plain t-shirt and jeans seemed too casual now. _

_"So what subject should we start with?" She asked, snapping him out of his staring. Ino had started to rummage through her back tossing every book out of it. Shikamaru found himself staring yet again as her skirt rose higher on her thigh. Once she had them nearly stacked she plopped onto the cream colored sofa. Shikamaru sunk into the armchair opposite her. _

_"What are you actually doing here?" He yawned. He wasn't going to study tonight. _

_"To tutor you because you are on the edge of failing." She answered with a flip of the ponytail._

_"We both know I don't need a tutor and if anything I should tutor you. You're the one with a C in calculus." He shot back with a knowing smirk. Ino scoffed at his comment and glared._

_"I have A's in every other subject for your information. And if you don't study I'll leave and tell your mother." Ino warned knowing how explosive his mother could be. She was bossier than Ino was and more troublesome in his eyes. He groaned in response and stood up. Ino's eyebrows rose in confusion as he sat next to her._

_"How about chemistry?" He suggested in a deeper tone than usual. Ino nodded and grabbed the textbook off the stack. Ino flipped it to the chapter they were in currently, not that Shikamaru cared and laid it on her lap. _

_"You don't need to learn this stuff, you need motivation. You're the smartest person I know and you can ace all these classes if you just used half that laziness of yours and turn it into motivation." Ino scolded while locking her eyes with his. She was looking for any sign that she got through to him. His face was still emotionless. She shut the book in annoyance and brushed it aside._

_"It's too troublesome." He whined and she flicked his forehead._

_"Don't you care about your future at all! You can't breeze through life like you're a cloud. Everyone says you're so mature but I think you're just a little kid that doesn't want to grow up!" Ino reprimanded not realizing how frustrated she was with him. She couldn't let him throw his life away like this. _

_Ino waited for him to respond but he stayed silent. He was looking at the cieling now. He was aware of her worried eyes. She cared about his future more than he did. In return he cared about her unconditionaly and wanted only the best for her. He also believed he was better for her than Sai was. Sai couldn't connect with her on a deep level like Shikamaru could. He wanted to be able to point her out in a crowd as his girl . He wanted something more than the plantonic relationship they had. _

_When he finally looked down to face her his lips parted slightly and hers did the same. Then his head dipped lower until his lips met hers. Ino didn't pull back like she thought she should. She could feel how uncertain he was. Ino still found herself kiss back gently until he pulled away. His eyes half lidded as he stared down at her. Ino knew she shouldn't kiss him, she was with Sai. But there was something that kept Ino from running away. She was furious at him. This was a complete betrayal of their friendship. _

_Still Ino's hand found it's way to his cheek. Their lips met again and Ino's hands slid behind his neck to pull him closer. She draped her legs over his lap as his hands slid over her curves. Ino felt no regret as their kiss intensified. His hands settled on her waist as his tongue grazed her lip, begging for entrance. That's when Ino pulled back only to push Shikamaru onto his back. She straddled him with her hips and a teasing smile. Their heavy breathing was in unison._

_"Say my name." She whispered as she nibbled his earlobe. She moved her kisses down his neck and onto his collarbone. He moaned her name in response. Then he switched their positions so she was pinned under him. She let out a gasp of surprise._

_"I wasn't done yet." She pouted and fluttered her lush eyelashes. Shikamaru had a hand on either side of her as he drank her up. He brought his lips down on hers again. He began to plant kisses down her arm. Ino wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed him down on her. Shikamaru wrapped his arms around her as he lifted her off the sofa. _

_"When did you get so strong?" She giggled as she locked her ankles behind his back. He pressed her against the wall as he pressed his lips on hers. _

_"Probably from all those sports you make me do." He smirked and plucked the hair ribbon out of her hair. Platinum hair tumbled down her back like a waterfall. She was surprised when he set her down and stepped back. _

_"This is all wrong." He snapped and shook his head. Ino moved closer to him and placed a hand on his chest. _

_"No, it's completely right." She objected and curled the fabric in her fist as she rested her head on his rapidly rising and falling chest. His hand in return rested on her butt as_ he_ pulled her close. She was at his chin and he could see over her head easily. When she stepped away she saw the curiosity in his eyes and smirked. She pulled off her sweater and let it drop to the floor. Once he saw her lilac lace bra Shikamaru was ready to devour her. Shikamaru copied the gesture and it was her turn to gape. He was toned with just the right amount of muscle. Shikamaru's eyes followed Ino as she sprawled like a cat on the sofa. She raised a nylon clad leg and gave him a coy look. When he complied to ease the tights off her his already flushed face turned scarlet. She arched her back against him and clung to his biceps. _

_"We can stop here if you want." He whispered. _

_"What I want, is you." She assured. She was glad he cared about her enough to make sure she was alright. So when Ino beckoned him up the stairs to his bedroom to fulfill their desires, she was glad he was a bit hesitant. Ino leaned herself against the stairway with a half lidded expression of pure seduction. She pulled off her skirt to reveal her matching panties. He finally gave into temptation and brought her to the bedroom._

Ino saw that same sweater out of the corner of her eye and wondered if Shikamaru would remember the night like she did. She quickly found the matching skirt and boots. Wearing tights wasn't necessary today as six weeks ago it was February and now the weather was much warmer. Still she wanted to wear the whole look so she slipped those one as well. Ino wanted to see how important that night was to him. Surely if he remembered what she wore that night, he would've found the night special. It was both of their first time's after all. Ino had to admit it was really awkward and uncomfortable at first. But he asked her constantly if she was okay and offered to stop. That was something Ino found very sweet and selfless.

Ino tied up her hair in her signature high ponytail. She wanted to use her shiny black hair ribbon, but she couldn't find it anywhere. She settled on a plain white one instead. She zipped up her boots and grabbed her purse before making her way downstairs. She figured he'd be late as usual so she fixed herself coffee. Her mom was reading the newspaper by the kitchen counter.

"You got home pretty late last night." She remarked. It turned out her mom had just forgotten to turn off the lights and she wasn't waiting to scold her daughter the minute she walked in.

"Well I was watching movies with Shikamaru and Choji and we all sorta fell asleep." Ino explained, it wasn't exactly a lie, just the truth stretched out rather long.

"I see. Well that's better than you sleeping with Sai. I had my worries about you young lady." Ino's mom replied smiling with relief as she nearly folded the paper and set it down on the counter. She was staring at her daughter with a distant look. Ino was relieved to hear a knock at the door so she wouldn't have to continue the conversation. She bounced to the door and happily opened it. She knew her overly cheerful demeanor seemed odd, but she didn't want him to worry about her.

Shikamaru had cleaned up more than usual. He wore a neat blue polo and khakis. Ino did smile a little when she got to his worn out sneakers that made the whole outfit seem thrown together as usual.

"Who is it?" Ino's mom called from the kitchen.

"It's Shikamaru! He's taking me out to the bakery today." Ino shouted back. Shikamaru plugged his ears as the two loud women shouted to one another. He wondered why he got stuck with such troublesome women sometimes. Since he had tuned out the majority of conversation Shikamaru was surprised when Ino tugged him by the arm out the door.

She marched him down the marketplace and to the town square. Ino stopped in front of the massive fountain that was in the middle. Ino released his arm and began to dig through her purse. Her face lit up as she pulled out a penny and bounced to the fountain. Shikamaru could tell she was thinking hard about what to wish.

He focused on her outfit, the same one from that night. He remembered how his hand carressed her perky breast as he kissed her collarbone. He could still hear her moans of pleasure and wondered if Sai could ever make her feel that way. He remembered how her hair looked sprawled on his pillow. He wanted to hold her tightly again, like he did once they were done.

He was in a daze and he knew it. He guessed she had done it on purpose. Now she was back at his side, he noted how small she was compared to him.

"You have to make a wish too." She ordered as she peered up at him. She placed a penny in his hand and gave him a playful push. He tossed the coin in nonchalantly and returned to her side this time. Then he was getting pulled by the arm towards the bakery.

"Slow down bossy woman." He muttered under his breath. Ino complied and slowed her pace until they were in front of the bakery. It had a warm inviting feel to it with lots of charm. The walls were a sunny yellow and the furniture had a rustic twist. It was a rather small bakery with only a few tables and chairs to sit at. Ino still adored the cute bakery and made Shikamaru take her all the time. This was their tradition since they were ten. Shikamaru rarely got much, usually just a coffee. Ino on the other hand could never decide from the delicious assortments. Shikamaru knew sweets were her weak spot.

"Oh I don't know what to get. Tiramisu or strawberry shortcake?" She sighed as she looked over the deserts with fascination.

"Get her both." Shikamaru said and handed the necessary cash to the cashier. He had just gotten a coffee, black plain just like him. Ino looked up surprised but smiled graciously.

"Well aren't you the gentleman?" She teased and grabbed her deserts before going to their usual table by the window. She took a bite from the tiramisu and smiled happily at the perfect blend of coffee and cake. She dug into the strawberry shortcake next and was just as satisfied by it too.

"Do you want to try any?" She asked her pineapple head best friend. He shook his head as he sipped his bitter coffee. He unlike his two best friends did not have much of a sweet tooth. He prefered his food spicy which he knew Ino hated. Choji liked every genre of food so it made no difference to him.

They were enoying their small talk until Sai walked into the bakery. He immediately saw them smiling at each other and made his way over. He pulled a chair from a nearby table and pulled it next to Ino's. This made Shikamaru's eyes darken and his first clenched under the table. Still he forced a polite smile on his face and greeted Ino's boyfriend.

"What are you two doing here?" Sai questioned as he twirled a lock of Ino's hair with his finger. He wanted to mark his territory when it came to Ino. Sai wasn't an overly jealous guy, but he didn't like seeing Ino be on what looked like a date with Shikamaru.

"We come here all the time. I'm sure Ino has told you that before." Shikamaru answered with more smugness in his voice than usual.

"Does Choji come too? All three of you are best friends right?" Sai questioned his eyes on Ino this time.

"No, if we invited him he'd eat all the food here. Then there wouldn't be any for the rest of us." She giggled trying to ease the tension. Sai tensed up even more after that comment though. His hand dropped her hair and he wrapped his arm around her. Ino's blue eyes looked at both boys nervously. Their eyes were locked in a cold stare.

"The deserts are really tasty here Sai, you should try one." Ino piped in hoping to break the uncomfortable silence.

"I think that's a great idea, you can show me the best ones." Sai replied and took Ino's hand to pull her away from Shikamaru, a smirk on his face. Shikamaru hated that Ino just let him grab her like that. Sai was holding his Ino's hand and this made his blood boil. He wasn't one to the let emotions show or control him. So instead of tearing Ino away from him like he wanted, Shikamaru got up and left the bakery. He was vaguely away of Ino calling after him. She was probably calling after him because Sai has a death grip on her hand, keeping her in place. This is why Shikamaru was surprised when Ino ran up in front of him.

"Where are you going?" She demanded with her hands planted firmly on her hips.

"Don't want to be the third wheel on your _date._" he muttered and continued walking down the street. Ino didn't know why this hurt her so much, maybe it was how cold his voice was. Or maybe it was that she was possibly falling for him all over again.


	4. Chapter 4

The blaring of his alarm clock jolted Shikamaru awake that morning. It was Monday which meant he had to spend hours in the most troublesome place he knew, high school. Monday was just the beginning of a long torturous week of obnoxious students and work. Although Shikamaru hardly did the work he was supposed to, he still found it to be a drag. Getting up on Mondays were even more troubleome because he had the weekend to sleep all day. Anything that had to do with lazing around was his hobby, those and shoji. He hadn't picked up his shoji board for over a year now, not after his father's death. His dad was his shoji partner and the only opponent that could actually challenge him. No one else came close or had the patience.

_Shikaku's death was unexpected and hit them hard. A car accident was the cause. A truck nearly hit his on the way from work. To avoid collision Shikaku swerved but ended up driving the car off the highway it was on. He was dead on impact. Shikamaru was in denial at first, his dad was so smart and careful how could he be gone so fast? It was when he saw his mother sink to her knees and sob that Shikamaru faced reality. Yoshino never cried, she was so strong. Shikamaru could feel her heart break more with every tear. He wanted to cry as well, but he knew his father would've wanted him to put on a tough face for her. So he sat next to her and let her head fall onto his shoulder. He tried to soothe her by tracing circles on her back as well._

_He couldn't look at her without feeling tears cling to his lids, so his eyes drifted around their living room. His eyes locked on a photograph above their fireplace. It was a picture of them and the Yamanakas from a vacation they shared when he was eight. The ocean was their backdrop from the tropical vacation Shikamaru found boring at the time. They were all standing together in a snug cluster. Ino's blue eyes looked brighter because they were complimented by the orange flower tucked behind her ear. She was sitting on her dad's shoulders with a beaming smile. Shikaku had a goofy grin on his face as he had one arm draped around Yoshino and the other rested on his son's shoulder. Shikamaru was the only member not smiling, instead he had a light pout with his arms crossed over his chest. He had a sunburn on his nose as well since he was too lazy to put sunscreen on himself and Ino had forgotten to cover his face. _

_Another realization hit him at that moment, Ino's father was with Shikaku. He found himself wondering if he was alright. Shikamaru knew he wasn't alright of course, but he hoped he was alive. Ino would be crushed. She was closer to her father than she was to her mother. Yoshino caught him staring and had the same thought as him. _

_"Go to her." Yoshino ordered between shudders. She was calming down somewhat and knew that she wasn't the only one that needed Shikamaru that night. _

_"Are you sure?" He asked. When she nodded and mustered a weak smile, Shikamaru was out the door. It felt like hours before he had reached her house and rang the doorbell. Ino was the one to answer, her eyes were red and puffy, and her breathing was frantic. Shikamaru knew she was sobbing and wasn't going to stop yet. She let him in without a word and sank into the sofa. Shikamaru saw her mother sunken into an armchair with the same expression as Yoshino did. Ino curled her legs to her chest and began crying again. She didn't want to cry in front of him but she couldn't help it. _

_"They're both d-dead." Ino __hiccuped. Shikamaru was seated next to her now. His presence soothed her oddly. She scooted closer to him and buried her face in the soft fabric of his sweatshirt. Her arms were wrapped around his stomach. Shikamaru held her instinctively and frowned at how fragile she was in his arms. She seemed so small and vulnerable. He didn't want to let anyone harm her in this state and his grip strengthened, but he still kept it gentle. _

_"You're warm." She whispered and felt her current of tears slowing down. She liked being in his arms, she felt so safe. The constant beat of his heart was another calming effect on her. Her eyelids suddenly felt heavy. Ino didn't realize how late it was, time felt like it was frozen after they received that dreaded call. Shikamaru noticed how peaceful she was becoming and felt relieved. He peered over at her mother who wasn't crying or doing anything. Her eyes were staring at her wedding picture across the room. Shikamaru felt a wash of a pity and could only imagine how their mothers felt. _

_"You need to let it out too." Ino said suddenly and gazed up at her somber friend. _

_"I don't cry." He objected and shook his head. If he couldn't cry in front of his mom there was no way he'd do it in front of Ino. He was their pillar of strength. He couldn't crumble and let them fend for themselves. He'd mourn on his own and no other way._

_"But you should. Keeping emotions bottled up isn't healthy." She scolded halfheartedly, she wasn't in the mood to argue. She was getting really tired now and a yawn escaped her. His sweatshirt felt so soft against her that it reminded her of a blanket. She clutched the fabric in her small fists._

_Her mother watched in adoration as her daughter snuggled into her best friend. She always preferred Shikamaru to all Ino's other male companions. Choji was great as well. Sai was fine and all, but she found him bland. Shikamaru had always been there for her. Even now when he just lost his dad, he was at their home comforting Ino. He was her playmate when they were children, a reluctant one however. He always let her be herself and happy. He took full responsibility for her safety which reassured her protective father._

_"You should get some sleep." Shikamaru suggested as he noticed her drowsiness. Ino nodded and untangled herself from Shikamaru and sat up. She gave her mom a quick squeeze on the hand and moved towards her room slowly. Her hand was pressed to the wall for balance. Shikamaru watched her stumble to her bedroom soundlessly. He had a quicker pace and was next to her with his arm offered. Ino grabbed it and let him lead her down the hallway until they were in her room. Ino wrapped her floral bedspread around her trying to get every ounce of warmth out of it. Ino found it strange that she felt warmer in his royal blue sweatshirt clad arms. She wanted that warmth again. _

_"Can you lay next to me, just until I fall asleep?" She asked softly. He never could say no to her, especially requests like this. He ruffled her hair lightly as he complied and laid next to her. Ino hugged his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. Long blonde hair cascaded around her and her bangs were a mess over her forehead. Shikamaru used his free arm and brushed them out of her eyes. Her usually shiny blue eyes were dull and hazy. Her luminous skin was blotchy and red from crying. _

_"I like this sweatshirt." Ino muttered, her voice heavy with drowsiness. Shikamaru detached her arms from his and pulled off the sweatshirt Ino had become so attached too. He chuckled his signature phrase and handed it to her. She tugged it on happily and grinned. _

_"You should go back to your mom. She needs you too." Ino yawned as her head dropped onto her soft pillow. _

_"Are you sure?" Shikamaru questioned as he pulled the blankets up to her chin. He wanted to be with his mom, but he wanted to help Ino too. _

_"I'll be fine. Besides having your sweatshirt is like having a piece of you. That's enough for me." She nodded and made shooing motion with her hand. _

_Ino gave him her best reassuring smile and he finally left. Her mom he drifted off to sleep in the armchair as well. Shikamaru grabbed a blanket from the couch and placed it over her before leaving the house. He shoved his hands deep in his pockets and trudged down the empty street. Once he got home he helped his mom to bed and went to his bedroom to sleep the night away. _

He pushed the memory away with a sigh. He forced himself out of bed and rummaged for his uniform. He hated his uniform since it had too many steps for his liking. He had button his shirt and his stiff navy blue blazer. He sloppily made his yellow tie knowing his mom or Ino would fix it later. Then he had to pull on his pressed pants and belt them. His shoes pinched his toes no matter what size they were. The whole uniform was uncomfortable and troublesome on his opinion. He liked their summer uniforms better since he could at least ditch the blazer.

His mom was shouting at him to come down which only made Shikamaru hate school more. He sulked down the stairs with his backpack slung over his shoulder. Yoshino was nagging him to do all his daily tasks before school.

"It's raining outside so make sure to being an umbrella." Yoshino added once he had finished brushing his teeth. He grabbed an umbrella by the door and sulked towards the dreaded building. It wasn't far from his house at least.

He hadn't gotten far before he heard his name being called. He turned around to see Ino jogging up to him. She was holding a textbook over her head in an effort to shield it from rain. Her platinum blonde hair was plastered down her back and her sleeves were soaked.

"You shouldn't get your textbooks wet." He scolded as she forced her way under the umbrella.

"My mom took the umbrella with her to work this morning." She pouted. She smoothed her navy pleated skirt and pulled up her knee socks that always sagged down.

"You're socks always fall down, why don't you get a smaller size so they won't puddle around your ankles." He advised with a smirk. Choji and Shikamaru always teased her about her ill-fitting socks that never stayed up. They knew she wore the smallest size available, but it was still to big for her thin legs. She was a very skinny girl, probably one of the smallest in their grade. Ever since she was a kid she had this obsession with staying thin so everyone would find her pretty. She constantly dieted even when others told her she shouldn't.

"I can't wait until the twentieth! We get to wear our summer uniforms then. No more stupid knee socks and baggy sleeves for me." She responded, bubbly as usual. The girls' summer uniforms had more differences than the boys did. The skirt and shoes were the same but the socks were normal socks and the sailor fuku style top had short sleeves instead of long.

"March is a very unpredictable season Ino. We'll probably have to wear our winter uniforms this month anyway. You could wear tights instead of socks you know those are allowed." He shrugged which made the umbrella bob and sprinkled water droplets around them.

"But every girl wears knee socks. I don't want to stand out like a sore thumb." She whined in response.

"It wouldn't hurt if you gained a couple pounds. Maybe then your uniform wouldn't be so baggy on you." Shikamaru informed as he eyed her physique. He wondered how someone so devoted to staying small had such a large bust size, and a narrow waist. Her proportions never made sense to him, but he'd get smacked if he ever mentioned it.

Ino's eyes lit up as she remembered the lunch she packed him. She halted and rummaged through her bag to find the container.

"It's some broiled salmon, a rice ball with sown soy sauce , pickled ume and cucumbers, and a thermos of green tea if you get thirsty." She explained as she handed him the container with foil over the top to keep the food fresh and hot. She blushed slightly as he took the lunch she had specially prepared for him with a grin. They were in the school courtyard now. It was usually upbeat and busy but it was empty due to the rain. Usually Ino met up with Sai here, but Shikamaru wasn't going to wait for him so Ino followed him inside the building. Ino loved school, it was her popularity paradise. It wouldn't be for long though and Ino dreaded the day her secret would get out. All the looks of admiration would turn to disgust with a baby in her belly. She'd be stuck at the bottom of the social pyramid for the rest of high school. She shuddered at the thought.

"Where'd you get that scrape from?" Shikamaru asked interrupting Ino's thoughts. She raised an eyebrow and looked down at her leg. Her sock had slid down revealing a fresh scrape. Ino remembered slipping on the slick street that morning. She caught herself from falling face first by pushing her hands out. Her knees still banged on the concrete.

"Oh I slipped this morning and I guess I scraped my knee." She replied absently. Shikamaru wasn't paying attention to her and was searching his bag. Ino's eyebrows shot up when he kneeled in front of her. Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment as the students in the hallway stared at them. Some giggled to each other and others simply stared fondly. The clueless ones probably thought they were a couple. Ino hoped Sai wasn't around.

Shikamaru rose back up again and rubbed his neck, his nervous tick. His eyes were a hue pinker than usual. Ino looked down again to see he had placed a bandage over the scrape.

"Thank you." She mumbled as she pulled her sock up yet again. It was such a sweet gesture of him. It must've been troublesome for him to look for the bandage in the first place.

"Be more careful next time." He scolded in his monotone voice and began walking in the other direction. He quickly turned on his heel and was back in front of her.

"I've got to stay after school so you should take this in case it keeps raining." He added and handed her his umbrella. Then he walked away from her with his hands deep in his pockets. Ino decided she should get to her first class chemistry, with its soggy textbook. She had the same class with Shikamaru so she hurried after him down the hall. He was talking with Kiba outside the classroom. Kiba was a bit of a womanizer, but overall a nice and funny guy. Kiba was also one of Shikamaru's closest friends outside of Choji and Ino.

"You need to pack me a lunch too." Kiba joked with a toothy grin as Ino strode up to them. His hair was even more sloppy than usual, which made Ino want to run a brush through it. After rolling her eyes at his comment she turned her attention to Shikamaru's sloppy tie. She fixed it quickly with an annoyed sigh.

"It's not even that hard to do." Ino huffed and brushed a piece of lint off his blazer.

"Why bother when I know you'll do it for me?" He shot back with his usual smirk. With a sharp glare and a quick hair flip Ino went into the classroom. Her lab partner was TenTen, an upper-classmam that was like an older sister to Ino. She didn't act superior to the younger students and even tutored for some of them. She'd give Ino good advice on what to do about her pregnancy. Especially since she had a pregnancy scare last year with Neji Hyuga. Ino was one of the few people she told about it. TenTen made sure Ino was aware of the consequences if she had sex with Sai.

"Hey TenTen." She greeted her brunette lab partner. TenTen laughed when Ino dropped her soaked textbook on the lab table.

"I didn't know textbooks could be umbrellas." She teased and flicked the blonde's shoulder. TenTen looked at her friend with finger at her chin. She took in her slightly damp uniform and smirked.

"A textbook isn't very good protection you know, why aren't you more wet? You shared an umbrella with someone didn't you?" She teased, her playful smirk still present. Ino groaned at her friend's nosiness. She could feel a blush spreading across her face.

"And I don't see Sai anywhere." She added as she looked around the room. She spotted the umbrella in Ino's hand and snatched it hastily. She turned it over and saw the initials SN on the handle. Her devilish grin grew wider and were paired with a twinkle in her chocolate eyes.

"Give it back!" Ino squeaked and reached for it, but TenTen held it higher. Shikamaru sulked into the classroom to see Ino chasing TenTen around the classroom. His umbrella dangling from the brunette's fingertips. Ino finally snatched the umbrella back and held it protectively to her chest. Class was about to start, so everyone hurried to their seats without a word. Ino was glad that TenTen couldn't tease her more.

Shikamaru's eyes were glued to Ino all class period. He smiled to himself every time she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear or she pushed her baggy sleeves up. She was so absorbed in the lesson and he contemplated tossing a pencil at her to ruin her focus. He loved how her eyebrows knit together as she scribbled the notes. He noticed whenever she blushed after TenTen whispered something to her. His umbrella was in her lap.

Ino lookef across the room and saw her best friend staring back at her. There was something unreadable in his eyes. She wanted to find out what it was. And she knew exactly how.


	5. Chapter 5

The schoolday continued on as usual. Ino was stuck in history class, which luckily was the one before lunch. She hasn't seen Sai all day so lunch would be a bore. She hated her table of artsy students that were in Sai's clique. Ino pushed through their rambling of indie bands so she could sit with her boyfriend. Still there were times she wanted to be with her friends for a change. Whenever Ino looked over at Shikamaru, Choji, Naruto, and Kiba ;they were always laughing and having a good time. Sometimes they'd look at her with inviting looks, but Ino always stayed with her bland table. They still had an empty chair where she used to sit.

Class was almost over and Ino wanted to hurry out. Ino saw her lazy friend fast asleep in the back of the classroom. Professor Hatake was used to it by now and gave up on keeping him awake. After a month of detentions that couldn't keep Shikamaru from slumbering, he realized there was no hope. Naruto and Kiba were tossing paper clips at him futilely. Ino giggled to herself at the mess around his desk.

The bell rang finally which jolted Shikamaru awake. Naruto and Kiba were snickering around him as his eyes adjusted to being awake. Paper clips littered the area around him. He brushed off the ones that had landed on him and groaned. Naruto and Kiba were laughing louder now. The class was cleared out except them and Ino. She was watching the scene play out. Kiba and Naruto had taken his backpack and we're looking through all the contents. Shikamaru glared at them but was too lazy to get his bag back.

"Why is there a hair ribbon in here?" Kiba asked as he held up a shiny black hair ribbon. Ino immediately recognized it as hers. It was her favorite ribbon after all. Her eyes darted to Shikamaru, who shrugged in response.

"I was returning it to Ino." He explained and snatched the ribbon away from Kiba. In reality he had kept the ribbon since that night and kept it with him at all times. It felt like it was a piece of her. He didn't want to return it, but he still put it in her hands with a fake smirk to prove his friends wrong. Ino thought she saw his eyes sadden for a split second. She also thought she saw his fingers linger on the ribbon.

"How'd you get it in the first place?" Naruto questioned with a devilish grin. Ino wondered what lie her friend would make. She knew she lost it that night and it made sense that he kept it.

"She loaned it to my mom and forgot to get it back." Shikamaru countered coolly. Ino would've believed his natural tone if she didn't know the truth already. Ino stuffed the ribbon into her bag hastily.

"Can we get to lunch I'm starving." Naruto whined and began pulling Kiba out of the room. Shikamaru followed them and muttered his signature phrase.

"Hey guys wait up!" Ino called after them. They paused and turned around in unison as Ino came closer. She kneeled down to pull up her socks, which had fallen down again.

"Can I eat with you today?" She asked even though she would get her way no matter their answer was.

"It was about time you asked. You're table seems so gloomy all the time." Naruto answered first. His already wide grin got bigger, something Ino didn't think was possible.

"And I think Shikamaru has missed you." Kiba winked, resulting in him getting an annoyed shove from Shikamaru. Kiba returned the gesture with a more playful attitude and ran his hand through his already messy hair.

Kiba tapped Naruto on the shoulder and challenged him to see who could get to the cafeteria faster. They both darted off before Ino could scold them about the no running rule on campus. Ino and Shikamaru were left in the deserted hallway and began walking in silence. Ino didn't like Shikamaru's leisurely pace, so she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him down the corridor.

"You're such a slowpoke." She complained.

"And you're the bossiest woman I've ever met." He frowned as she tugged his arm roughly. He was amazed at her strength. How she was capable of giving black eyes and shoving guys twice her size into lockers was something Shikamaru couldn't comprehend. He could see clearly over her head and could easily pick her up.

Ino continued to pull her lazy best friend until they were at their table. Apparently Naruto beat Kiba and was bragging about it to Choji. He seemed more interested in his barbecue potato chips than the actual conversation.

"So you've finally returned." He greeted as she took her seat between Choji and Shikamaru. It gave her a good view of her usual table. Kankuro, an upperclassman was doing corny magic tricks as usual. His brother Gaara was barely paying attention and was focused on his sketch pad. Ino wondered what he drew in it, but it was always a secret. Ino had nothing in common with either of them. The only interaction she had with them was when Kankuro told a funny story about their sister in college, Temari, and Ino would share a laugh or two. The rest of the artsy students had their headphones in or engaged in small talk that Ino wanted no part of.

"If you want to stay you'll have to make us lunches too. It's no fair that Shikamaru gets all he good food when he's usually to lazy to eat it." Naruto informed as he glared at the lunch Ino prepared for her best friend. Ino did pride herself on it, she liked to consider herself a good cook.

Shikamaru smirked as he ate his salmon. Ino felt a wave of nausea. The stench was sickening, surely someone else notices, she thought. She was fine that morning packing it. It wafted through her nose at a rapid pace. She resisted the urge to throw up right there.

"I've got to go to the bathroom." She stated before hurrying out of the room. She felt some relief once she had left. Her feet shuffled down the dull corridor of bland lockers until she was in the bathroom. The cold, smooth tiles felt nice against her bare legs as she dropped in front of a toilet. She hadn't had much morning sickness before and it wasn't morning now. Ino wondered why she was throwing up. She heard a woman's appetite could change when pregnant, that could be it. Ino decided that was the answer. She didn't want to keep feeling nauseous all day. At least Ino was learning a few tricks; in her pocket she kept a hair clip to pull her bangs out of her face, she had a compact of petal pink blush to fake color in her face, breath mints and mint gum were staples in her bag, and she had a never ending list of excuses if she was questioned.

Ino wondered if she was doing something wrong. She was doing her research and was taking vitamins. She couldn't think of anyone to turn to, she was keeping a secret. She could hear her phone ring over the sound of her heaving pinkish chunks. Ino would've taken the call if she want busy emptying the contents of her already empty stomach. No matter what she ate for breakfast , she couldn't keep it in. Once noon passed she was fine usually.

Her phone kept ringing and Ino fought the urge to chuck it against the stall. Her small hands gripped the edge of the toilet so hard her knuckles were pearly white. Once she was finished she pinched her nose and flushed. Even after six weeks she was still disgusted by the smell and sight of vomit.

She cringed at her reflection in the mirror. Her already porcelain skin was drained of all color and blotchy, her vibrant eyes were dull, and she knew her whole aura showed how miserable she was. She splashed the rigid sink water on her face, hoping to refresh herself. She inhaled and exhaled slowly as she patted her face dry. She had to seem perfectly normal once she went back. She popped in two breath mints and I clipped her bangs. She scrutinized every inch of her appearance. Hair had loosened out of her ponytail and the water refreshed some color back into her cheeks. With a quick swipe of blush on the apples of her cheeks her face was lively again. Next she pulled out the crimson hair ribbon and let her platinum locks tumble down her back. Her fingers brought her hair up in a ponytail with ease, she had been doing it since she was ten. Instead of the crimson ribbon she chose her stolen onyx one and secured her thick platinum mane.

She pulled up her knee socks and left the bathroom, confident in her ruse. "You were in there for fifteen minutes." A monotoned voice groaned. Shikamaru was sitting across the hall with his head leaned back against the lockers. His eyes were calmly closed as if he was asleep. Ino rolled her eyes at his comfortable position that only he would do in school.

"Why were you timing me?" Ino snapped as she took a seat next to him. Her eyes were narrowed at him. He shrugged in reply and cracked an open at her. He could tell she was contemplating something. She always bit her lip when she was unsure of what to say.

Ino wanted to tell Shikamaru, she really did. She wanted to tell someone and finally receive advice and comfort. He'd find out eventually of course. Ino still hadn't thought of a lie to cover up the identity of her baby's father. But she was determined to keep her secret as long as possible. She wasn't going to be a burden on his future. He didn't deserve to be tied down and unfocused because of her. She didn't even know what he would want to do. What if he wanted to keep it? What if he never wanted to see her again? He could be alright with Ino's adoption plan. Ino knew him like the back of her hand, but this is was something that Ino couldn't imagine his answer.

They sat in comfortable silence, deep in their own thoughts. Ino felt her hand inch closer to his and entwined her fingers through his.

"I'm going to break up with Sai." She blurted. She hadn't contemplated the idea until that moment. Sure she knew it would happen eventually once the news spread. They had their arguments like any other couple, but overall were happy. Sai was too distant at times, but Ino knew that was just his personality and let it slide. They didn't have much in common either. Ino hated to admit that all Shikamaru's objections to the relationship were correct.

"Did he do something?" Shikamaru asked. He hated the idea of someone hurting his best friend. He figured Sai wouldn't physically hurt her, but Shikamaru thought he could pass as a cheater.

"Nah, we just weren't really working out." Ino replied with a light shrug. Shikamaru nodded and was relived.

"I told you so." He yawned cockily. His head cocked to the side and looked at his best friend. A smirk played across his lips.

"Jerk." She muttered as smacked his shoulder. He mumbled an apology and squeezed her hand. Her heart fluttered before she turned her gaze towards the long hallway. She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"What are you doing after school?" Shikamaru asked.

"I thought you had to stay after today?"

"Not for long, I have to babysit later and I know you love kids." He explained. Ino did have a soft spot for kids, she always wanted siblings. Ino realized how perfect the opportunity was. She could see how well she would do as a parent and she could see how Shikamaru would be to. It would make the choice a lot easier.

"I'd love to."


	6. Chapter 6

Ino had already gotten through her homework by the time Shikamaru came to pick her up. He hadn't given her any details about the night. Her mom didn't like the vague explanation, but had enough trust in Shikamaru to leave him alone with Ino. It annoyed Ino that her mom was fine with Ino doing anything if Shikamaru was her escort.

Ino observed that Shikamaru didn't change out of his uniform. Ino on the other hand wore a pink and black striped shirt paired with dark wash skinny jeans and ballet flats. With a quick goodbye they were out the door. One thing Ino loved about living in her small village was that everything was in walking distance. Sure cars were easier and were used often, but nothing beat a good walk with fresh air.

"So who are we babysitting?" She asked

"Ms. Yūhi's daughter, Mirai. She's four years old. Her dad Asuma died before she was born, leaving Kurenai to take care of her by herself. Money has always been tight so I babysit Mirai free of charge while Kurenai works extra shifts." Shikamaru explained solemly. He didn't want Mirai to be raised without a father figure like he and Ino would be now. He took the task upon himself to be just that. He also figured Ino wouldn't mind joining him. He thought it'd be good for Mirai to get some girl time too.

"I never knew you did that. It's amazing Shikamaru." Ino praised. She was amazed by his selflessness. She knew he had a soft spot for children. Maybe he would make a good father after all, she thought. Immediately she pushed the idea away, even if he'd be a good father, would she be a good mother? Ino didn't want to think about it.

"Why did you ask me to come?" Ino then questioned.

"I figured Mirai would want to spend some time with another girl too, not just plain old me. And I know you're great with kids." He shrugged. He continued to lead the way until they got to an apartment complex. He took out the spare key Kurenai gave him and unlocked the main entrance to get inside. He held the door open for Ino as they entered.

"She's on the second floor." He stated and led Ino to the correct room. He knocked and was greeted by a tired Kurenai. She smiled sweetly at them though and let them in.

"Thank you for doing this Shikamaru, and you must be Ino. You were right Shikamaru, she is very pretty." She greeted and winked causing them to blush. Shikamaru mumbled something under his breath and looked around the space. Then he heard his name being called in a shrill voice and was tackled by a tiny girl.

"Yay Shika's here!" She cheered with a wide grin. Her messy brown hair fell into her eyes until Shikamaru leaned down and brushed them away from. He scooped her up which made the escatic girl laugh even more. He poked her forehead playfully, which made her giggle. Then she saw Ino and clung to Shikamaru tighter. She cupped her hands around Shikamaru and asked who she was.

"That's Ino, she's gonna help me babysit you today." Shikamaru explained and moved them closer to Ino. Mirai waved at the blonde happily. Ino returned the gesture with a shy smile.

"Are you Shika's wife?" She asked innocently. Ino coughed in surprise by the blunt question.

"No, just his friend." Ino denied, her cheeks pink. Mirai was tired of being held so she began to squirm until Shikamaru set her down. Kurenai planted a kiss on her forehead before leaving for work. Mirai grabbed Ino's hand and led her into the kitchen.

"This is our kitchen. That room was our living room." She explained and pulled Ino back into the living room. She marched her down to a small hallway with three rooms.

"This one is the bathroom. That's mommy's room. And this one is mine." Mirai said and pointed to each room. Mirai brought Ino into her small room. Coloring books and stuffed animals were thrown around the room. Crayon drawings coated the walls. Half the books on her bookshelf were askew. The room was definitely for for a child, which made Ino smile. Shikamaru rolled his eyes as Mirai showed Ino every inch of the room.

"Shikamaru bought this toy for my birthday. See it's a deer!" She grinned and showed Ino the plush deer. Ino kneeled down next to the young girl and took a stuffed kitten from off the floor.

"That's whiskers, he's a grumpy little cat." Mirai explained.

"He's like Shika." She whispered to Ino. Ino laughed in agreement and looked over at her stoic friend. He obviously heard and shook his head at them with a knowing smile. Ino returned her attention back to Mirai who was showing Ino all her coloring books.

"I like this one because it has lots of flowers." She said and held up the book to Ino.

"I love flowers in fact my family owns a flower shop." Ino replied. This made Mirai beam. She asked so many questions Ino couldn't keep up. The two girls were so absorbed in their conversation that they didn't notice Shikamaru stealthily sneaking up behind them. In one swift motion he swept them into his arms earning him two shrieks. "Gotcha!"

"Hey no fair!" Mirai pouted and tried to wiggle her way out. It was clear she was enjoying herself by her amount of giggling.

"That's what you get for calling me a grumpy little cat." He smirked teasingly. Ino rolled her eyes at her best friend.

"We weren't wrong." Ino shot back with her twinkling eyes narrowed. She was annoyed that he only needed one arm to trap her, she decided he was too strong. Not that she didn't mind her hilarious predicament.

"Well you two aren't going anywhere until you apologize." He replied with a yawn.

"Never!" Both girls shouted in unison. Shikamaru groaned at how similar their stubbornness was. Mirai continued to squirm to no avail. Ino didn't even try resistance. They shared knowing smiles with each other before laughing.

"I'll get us free Ino!" Mirai exclaimed and bit Shikamaru's arm. She wiggles her way under it and stood proudly next to them.

"Biting people is very rude." Shikamaru scolded and wagged a finger at the young girl. Mirai huffed but nodded understanding.

"You're very clever aren't you?" Ino smiled. Shikamaru was frowning now but his eyes were still playful. His arm was still around her, keeping her against him.

"I still have Ino though. Want to apologize now?" He asked. Mirai simply shook her head and gathered her stuffed animals.

"I'm gonna save Ino too!" She cheered and launched the toys at Shikamaru. Ino and Shikmaru both broke out laughing as they were pelted with stuffed animals. Finally Shikamaru released Ino ans threw his hands up in surrender. Mirai was delighted by her victory and skipped around the room. Ino stuck out her hand to help pull Shikamaru up.

"No Ino, he has icky boy germs!" Mirai shouted and swatted Ino's hand away. She stuck out her tongue in disgust. Ino remembered when all the girls stayed away from the boys and visa versa, not wanting to catch their germs.

"So I'm grumpy _and_ icky? Your hurting my feelings Mirai." Shikamaru scoffed in mock offense.

"It's not your fault, all boys are icky." Mirai shrugged. He rolled his eyes and signed, accepting her opinion. Ino patted his shoulder with a delicate smile.

"You're not going to think that for long." Ino explained and kneeled in front of the little girl. Mirai frowned and shook her head in objection.

"You'll learn some boys don't have icky germs." Ino added and looked over at Shikamaru. Mirai's eyes followed Ino's to the boy.

"Does he have them?" She asked and pointed a small finger. Ino shook her head and ruffled the girl's already messy hair.

Mirai skipped over to him and hugged his legs. She peered up at him innocently with a wide smile. "Can you pick me up over your head?" She asked.

"Am I still grumpy?" He asked with an eyebrow raised. When she shook her head he complied with her demand and lifted her over his head.

"If you keep getting bigger I won't be able to pick you up anymore." He stated as he spun them around. The scene made Ino's heart melt. He would make a good father after all, she thought. He was so at ease with children and so happy. But Ino kept reminding herself that a baby would tie him down and she didn't want that. His smile was so sincere and he looked like he never wanted to let go of Mirai. Maybe he wouldn't let their baby get adopted, Ino figured he'd be stubborn about it too.

"What's wrong Ino?" Mirai asked, snapping Ino out of her thoughts. Shikamaru set her down carefully and raised an eyebrow at the blonde.

"Nothing, just got a little lost in my thoughts." She answered and brought a smile to her face. She brushed past Shikamaru and took Mirai's hand. Ino was used to having the smaller hand being held, but Mirai's was even tinier. It fit perfectly into hers and Ino liked the feeling.

"Are you a good cook?" She asked as she led her to the kitchen.

"Well I think so, I make lunch for Shikamaru everyday and he seems to like it." Ino replied and turned to face her friend.

"She makes amazing mackerel." He added. Of course he liked any type of his favorite fish, no matter the cook.

"Ew I hate fish. I want dumplings." Mirai sniffed. Mirai detached her hand and bounced to her other babysitter. Ino gathered the ingredients to make dumplings and began preparation.

"You can be a horse until Ino's done." She decided and Shikamaru complied with a heavy groan. He got on all fours and she plopped on his back. She used his spiky ponytail as a steering wheel.

"You're too slow." Mirai whined. She yanked his ponytail to the side with a gleeful laugh. Ino heard the noise and laughed at her best friend wincing. The aroma of dumpings and the sound of Mirai's laughter filled the apartment. It felt like a family's home Ino thought. She was cooking dinner, Mirai and Shikamaru were playing oike they'd known each other for years. She could see the adoration in Shikamaru's eyes as Mirai poked his cheeks begging for him to be faster.

"Dumplings are ready!" Ino called from the kitchen. She made sure to make the dumplings smaller than usual so they'd be easier for Mirai to eat. She had already set the small table for them. Shikamaru lifted the eager Mirai onto her chair before taking his own seat. Mirai devoured her serving and grinned happily.

"Yummy." She praised and licked her lips. Ino saw Shikamaru had eaten his dumplings quickly also. He grabbed both their bowls and went to refill them.

"You've got to eat yours too." Mirai ordered and pointed at Ino's bowl that still was nearly full. Ino grabbed a dumpling with her chopsticks and chewed it to satisfy the child. Shikamaru had returned with two filled bowls of dumplings.

"These are better than mommy's." Mirai beamed and grabbed a dumpling with a greedy hand.

"Use your chopsticks Mirai." Shikamaru scolded and demonstrated the proper way to eat dumplings with his chopsticks. Mirai mimicked him with a toothy grin. Once the trio were done eating Ino helped petite Mirai off her chair.

"You can clean up buddy." She told her lazy friend. He scowled at her before taking the bowls to the sink.

"Tell me a story." Mirai ordered, Ino noted their similar bossy manner. Mirai say on Ino's lap as Ino pondered a story to tell.

"What do you want to hear?" Ino questioned.

"I want to hear a story about you and Shika. When you were kids." She said with a devilish grin. Her rust eyes danced between Ino and Shikamaru, who was now taking interest in the conversation. Ino dug through her memories to retell, most of them were too boring for a story.

Mirai was growing impatient and pouted at the blonde. Ino finally decided on a memory to retell and hoped it would be enjoyable.

"Well I think we were about six years old at the time. It was winter so we went to the park to play in the snow. We did lots of things that day. I chased him around until he'd push on me on the swings. We had a snowball fight, even though he was too lazy to make a good snowball. Actually I threw a snowball too hard and ended giving him a bloody nose." Ino began and laughed with Mirai at the last part. Shikamaru had seated himself next to them on the sofa.

"She was more freaked out about than I was. She ran around the whole park trying to get tissues and napkins." He chuckled. He remembered going home and explaining to his mother why there was blood on his new winter jacket. She overreacted as usual and spent more time than she should've trying to get the stains out of the puffy yellow fabric. He ended up using his scarf as a tissue. His mother yelled at him for ruining the wool scarf his grandmother made him.

"We went sledding after that mishap and I remember how nervous I was. The hill looked so huge from the top. I held onto Shikamaru for dear life." Ino continued. She remembered how her small arms circled his waist as they sled down the hill. Her face was buried into his back and she squeezed her eyes shut. She refused to be called a coward so she kept going down the hill. Every time Shikamaru pushed them off she shrieked, which annoyed Shikamaru heavily.

Mirai looked between both her babysitters and was puzzled by their fond expressions. She thought they weren't married, so why were they looking at each other like that?

"Then we built a snowman. It was really uneven and lopsided but we were proud of it anyway. We got pebbles for the eyes and buttons. We used sticks for its arms. I wanted to give it my hat, but Shikamaru said I'd catch a cold." Ino explained and tried to remember all the details.

Ino looked over at Shikamaru to see if they should continue. He nodded and continued, "But then this mean bully came over and wanted our spot. Stubborn Ino refused to move and told him to get his own spot. They argued with each other until he pushed her into the snow. And that made me angry because I don't like anyone hurting her. So I bit his leg."

"But you said it's rude to bite people." Mirai replied.

"There are exceptions." He shrugged in response. He remembered how her blonde hair was a mess as she sat up from the snow and brushed snow off her pink coat. He remembered how tears welled in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. She was always a tough kid. That's why he didn't mind biting someone, even if it was rude. Hitting a girl is rude too.

"What did you do then?" Mirai asked. Ino giggled a bit before Shikamaru could answer. She remembered what happened next.

"Well I ran away as fast as I could. I hoped Ino followed me, which luckily she did." He chuckled at his cowardliness. Mirai also laughed, satisfied with the story. She hopped of Ino's lap and raced to her room. She returned with three stuffed animals, the kitten, a frog, and a bear.

"You get to be Whiskers." She told Shikamaru and handed him the kitten from earlier. He muttered his signature phrase but accepted the toy anyway.

"You can be . She's nice like you." Mirai said and handed Ino the bear.

"I'm Ribbit because he's so cute." Mirai stayed and hugged her plush frog happily. They played in peace until it was late.

"Bedtime Mirai." Shikamaru said and took the protesting girl to her room. Ino laughed as Shikamaru tried to put the squirming girl to bed to no avail. Ino brushed past him and scooped up the tiny girl.

"This is what my mom used to do whenever I didn't want to sleep." She whispered and gently rocked Mirai in her arms. Ino whispered soothing words and soft lullabies until Mirai had drifted off to sleep. She gently tucked her in before returning to an impressed Shikamaru.

"It takes me forever to get her to sleep." He sighed and shut the light off.

"I guess it's maternal instinct." Ino shrugged. The thought scared Ino, she shouldn't have maternal instinct yet. She wasn't a mother and Shikamaru wasn't a father. But she had to admit he was amazing with Mirai and he'd be a great dad. Ino was hoping he'd be terrible to make her choice easier, but it only confused it more.


	7. Chapter 7

Waking up with morning sickness had become a ritual for Ino. Her alarm would ring and she'd dash to the first floor bathroom. Her two story house had two bathrooms, one on each floor. Ino and Her mom slept upstairs so Ino used the further bathroom so her mother wouldn't hear. She knew her luck would run out soon and she'd have to tell her mother about the pregnancy.

Ino cursed in between purges, the sickness was worse today. She felt like a million parasites were clawing at her insides at rapid speed. She didn't notice the sound of rushing footsteps coming down the stairs. She didn't notice the door swing open behind her. Ino only realized she had been caught when mother pulled her platinum locks back in a sloppy bun. Ino's curses were screaming in her head, blocking her mother's comforting words. Her mother rubbed soothing circles on Ino's back to calm her. Hot tears began to well in Ino's eyes and were on the brink of spilling down.

"I'll call the school so you can stay home and get some rest sweetie." She assured in the sweet angelic voice Ino wished she had inherited. The tears were streaming now against Ino's will. She never wanted her mother to see her cry or be plagued with nausea. Unfortunately both events were occurring and there was nothing Ino could do to stop them.

"I'm fine really." Ino objected once her stomach had finally settled. She brushed loose pieces of hair off her face and stood up shakily. Her mother had a hand rested on her back for support. Ino brushed her teeth and used mouthwash to clean her mouth.

"Sweetie you're sick. You're going to take the day off." Ino's mother ordered. Her eyes were cold and serious.

"I'm not sick mom, I'm-" Ino began but couldn't muster the words. Her blunt nature was failing her on the occasion she needed it most. She knew that she could never take those words back. They were the final acceptance of her condition. The thought shook her insides more than the morning sickness.

"You're what?" Her mom asked calmly with an eyebrow raised. She had a bad feeling about what her daughter was going to say.

"I'm, I-I'm...pregnant." Ino whispered as tears rolled down her porcelain skin. Ino bowed her head in shame, she couldn't bear to see the disappointment on her mother's face. Her blonde bangs created a veil over her pale blue eyes. The room fell silent except for an occasional sniffle on Ino's part.

"How far along are you." asked carefully. Her face was reserved and emotionless. She kept her hands clasped tightly in front of her. In truth she was disappointed with Ino, but more at herself. She cursed herself for not preparing her daughter. She always thought Ino was responsible, more than the rest of her friends. Why she would do something so reckless was beyond her. But she wouldn't abandon her daughter and was ready to support her. That's what mothers do.

"Seven weeks." Ino croaked, her eyes glaring at the bathroom tile. Her mother gently took her elbow and led her into the living room. The upcoming converstion was not meant to be held in a bathroom. They took their seats on the sofa, as far apart as possible.

"Have you had an ultrasound yet? And what about vitamins, do you have those?" Her mother questioned. She didn't know how to handle the situation, so she thought to get the basic questions out of the way. Ino still hadn't completely calmed yet and was staring at her lap. Her fingers fiddled with a stray string on her pastel green pajama shorts.

"I've had one already. I bought vitamins, but I don't know how good they are. I don't know what to look for in them." Ino answered, but still couldn't look her mother in the eye.

"And your diet how's that?" Her mother continued, glad her child had already taken some steps. She was proud that her daughter knew what to do even in most urgent cases, her mother surely wouldn't have known what to do at sixteen.

"I've been eating healthier too, lots of leafy greens and other food with good minerals like calcium, iron, and folic acid. But again I'm not really sure if I'm doing it right. I just listened to what the doctor told me." Ino explained. Over the past seven weeks Ino had taken special care in what she ate. She was feeding a baby with her now.

"That's good. I'm going to make breakfast for you since I'm sure you don't have enough time to make a proper one for yourself. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for your little one." She scolded and went to the kitchen. Her mother looked back on all the advice she got during her pregnancy so she could pass it on to Ino.

"I'll get changed for school." Ino replied and hurried to the stairs. She halted as a wooden spoon smacked into the wall next to her.

"You almost hit me!" Ino screeched at her mother.

"I already told you that you're staying home today. I don't care if you're not sick, we need to talk about this." Her mother snapped and pointed for her to sit at the dinner table. Ino stomped to the table with a heavy huff. She figured her mother would do something like that. They shared their short temper after all. continued to prepare breakfast with a triumphant grin.

Ms. Yamanaka placed a full plate of food in front of Ino. Her mouth watered at the boiled eggs, ham, strawberries, and orange juice. She devoured the meal quickly, her mother was the best cook Ino knew. She crossed her eyes to see the tart orange juice slide into her throat.

"Delicious as always." Ino thanked. The uncomfortable silence returned between them. Ino tapped the table with her index finger impatiently. Her mother focused on the chipped black nail polish on her ring finger. She still wore her wedding band. Their discomfort was mutual.

"When do I start showing?" Ino asked curiously. She dreaded the day when she would be stuck in horrid maternity clothes. The looks of disapproval would never leave her side. She knew the upcoming months would be torture.

"Well there isn't an exact time, but I started showing with you on my fourteenth week. I think any time between the twelfth and sixteenth week is normal though. You have a bit more time before elastic pants become your best friend." Her mother answered, a light smirk played on her lips. She imagined her daughter' staging hormones and cringed. She was sure Ino would complain daily and be a primadona princess. But she also knew Ino would feel the joy of pregnancy once the baby grows more. remembered the excitement she felt when Ino first kicked her inside the womb.

Ino sighed contently, she was glad her secret could be safe for awhile longer. She as glad to have a weight lifted off her shoulders by confessing to her mom, she just didn't want anyone else to find out. Especially the lazy man that caused this whole mess. Her pushy mother would say otherwise of course.

"Who's the father?" Ms. Yamanaka asked bluntly. The question couldn't be pushed aside after all. Ino's face was drained of color at that question. She mumbled the name inaudibly at first. Her mother's stern eyes commanded her to repeat.

"Shikamaru." She repeated quietly. Her hands flew to her face in embarrassment. She created a crack in her fingers to peek at her mother. Ino saw the crease in between her mother's eyebrows that only occurred when she was furious. Her lips were turned in a deep scowl. Her usually kind eyes had darkened into stone.

"You're kidding right?" spat through pursed lips. Ino shook her head and snapped her fingers shut. She couldn't see her mom rubbing her temples feverishly.

"But you two have known each other since you were in _diapers_! Just because you've known each other since you were babies doesn't mean you can _make_ one!" She barked. She got up and began pacing at an even more feverish pace. Ino cowered in her seat, afraid of her mother's rapidly changing demeanor.

"It wasn't planned mother." Ino shot back. She couldn't imagine how her day could get any worse. Well actually she did have a few, but with any luck they wouldn't occur. Ino panicked when she realized all her luck had probably run dry by now. Her mother had sunk into their faded armchair.

"I should've prepared you better. You're such a naive girl it's no wonder a lazy bastard like Shikamaru could get in your pants." She groaned and smacked her forehaed with the palm of her hand.

Ino's turned scarlet in both anger and embarrassment. She was shocked by her mother's accusations.

"Ugh you're so rude! I was a virgin before...well you know!" She snapped angrily wit her fists clenched tightly at her sides. She could sense the tension building up in the air. The two women locked their eyes in a glare, Ino's icy ones met her mother's fiery pair.

"But your best fried of all the people. What about Sai, aren't you two still together?"

Ino looked down at her feet in guiltiness. "I was going to break up with him yesterday but he wasn't in school. So I was going to do it today instead." She explained, knowing her excuse was weak. She should've broken up with him the day after she cheated on him, he deserved better. But the guy was so clueless on romance that she thought she could keep him for a bit longer. Then one week turned into two and then three and so on.

Because after they broke up, she's have to find other excuses to ignore and hide the truth from Shikamaru. She wanted him to forget any feelings he may have had for her, so she pretended like that night meant nothing. It wasn't right to lie to him, but Ino saw nothing else to do. She couldn't explain what compelled them that night. Ino resorted to hiding her feelings in her own attempt to crush them. She remembered the look of hurt across his face that day.

_Ino strode into school like it was any other day, her fake confidence radiated off her. She greeted her classmates politely like usual. She waited outside her first period classroom since she was early. She knew Shikamaru would arrive at the last second so she didn't have to worry about confronting him. That was until she saw the dark pineapple head come up to her. She noticed he stood a little straighter and taller. There was an air of confidence around him that was foreign to Ino. Her blue eyes danced around the hall, trying to find something to focus on. She was aware his chocolate colored eyes were looking at her. No not looking, something else Ino thought. She couldn't put her finger on it, but felt slightly bashful under his gaze. A small smile played on her lips, which Ino fought to no avail. She was pissed as hell at him, he completely betrayed her and all their years of friendship._

_She saw him fix his tie nervously out of the corner of her eye. He was trying to figure out what t_o say _to her. Her lips were pursed in a thin line and her hands were crossed tensely over her chest. She was trying to speak the most universal language, body language. She wanted him to go away and never speak to her again._

_"Nothing happened last night you know. I just needed some flesh to satisfy my lust. You were available and nothing else." She spat bitterly, cutting off whatever he was about to say to her. His eyes darkened but he only shook his head with a small smirk._

_"You're a terrible liar Ino, especially to me. I know it was your first time too." He replied with an exasperated tone._

_"Oh, and how do you know that? I don't tell you all my dirty laundry." She challenged and inspected her freshly painted fingernails. She knew her lie was weak, but she had to roll with it._

_"Because I know you're not stupid enough to give yourself to some idiots." He sniffed and stepped closer to her. Their toes touched at their close intimacy._

_"I slept with you didn't I?" she spat and shoved him backwards. He stumbled with his footing before regaining is composure. She knew she crossed the line. Hurt washed over his face. His usually cloudy and distant eyes were more like stormy skies. She wanted to apologize, but she had to make him forget that night and everything her told her. Crushing him was the only way to do it, no matter how much regret Ino would face._

_"You didn't feel anything at all?" He choked. His eyes stared into hers with so much vulnerability that she couldn't bear them anymore._

_"No." She replied, soft and simple. She bowed her head down to avoid his eyes. He had moved closer and grabbed her arm softly. It wasn't a strong hold and Ino could easily slip out of it. His other hand moved to her chin and lifted her head up._

_"Don't say no unless you really didn't feel anything. Only say no if there is nothing I can do to be with you. Say no if I meant nothing to you and everything you just said is true." He challenged. Ino knew it had to have taken him a lot of courage to muster such vulnerable words. He was always so closed off and stoic. But that didn't change anything for Ino, she had to break his heart. No matter how much pain it caused her._

_"No."_

Ino didn't hear her mom scolding her for dazing off. Ino didn't realize tears were selling in her eyes as she remembered her cruelty. She didn't deserve anyone's comfort, but she wanted it so much. Her feet took her into the arms of her mother. She couldn't remember the last time she hugged her mom out of the need for comfort. Her mom hugged her when Inoichi died, but Ino didn't go to her. Her arms reached for her lazy best friend.

The same best friend that she clung to in the childhood years when she was scared. The same one that got protective of her when someone made her cry. The same one that carries her home when she fell asleep at his house. The same one that no matter how many times she bossed him around he never abandoned her. The same one that made her happy and angry at the same time. The one that threw himself in front of any danger that came to her. The same one that made her smile even on her darkest days. The same one that knew just how to hold her. The one that she shared her first kiss with when they were ten. The one she gave her virginity to. The same best friend she was in love with.


	8. Chapter 8

The smell of fresh grass filled Shikamaru's nostrils as he inhaled deeply. He was stretched out across the plush grass on his favorite hill. When he needed to clear his racing mind, this is were he came. He could stare at the clouds in the sky all day. Ino and Choji couldn't understand his simple enjoyment and found the activity boring. He admitted it for boring at times, but he was a boring man so it was fitting. Lazing around was his favorite past time. The air had warned since that morning which made the environment more comfortable. His dark eyes were half lidded as he began to fall asleep. A little nap never hurt anyone. He slowly slid his arms behind his head and a light grin settled on his face. He rarely smiled but being alone at his hill in tranquility brought a smile to his face.

He didn't care about the grass stains that would ruin his uniform. He didn't care that his mother would yell at him for making a detour on his way home. In fact he didn't have a care in the world. He just wanted to rest and relax.

His eyes were staring at the vast sky above him. Shikamaru thought sky was especially blue that day. The blue reminded him of Ino's eyes. The twinkling set that still seemed to shine even when she was glaring or rolling her eyes at him. Shikamaru rubbed his eyes, trying to regain focus on the clouds. That was his issue, lately he couldn't stop thinking about her. He was reminded of her whenever he saw flowers or a little kid bossing around others. It was frustrating because she was so much _trouble_. The word trouble was all he needed to describe her. All he wanted in life was to avoid trouble so how come she always pulled him back in. Even when she tried to push him away, he found himself drawn to her like a magnet.

Ino had made it very clear that night meant nothing to her. Shikamaru had believed it at first, but then began to question her. She seemed forced into it. He also knew she wouldn't use him like she said. They were best friends and he was certain she wouldn't have sex with him unless she wanted to. She was confusing him more by becoming civil to him again. For the past six weeks she isolated him and now she was inviting herself to his lunch table. She was such a confusing girl. Shikamaru dedicated years to try and figure her out. He gave up when he realized it was impossible.

Shikamaru sat up, defeated. His effort to relax was now destroyed. And it was because of Ino Yamanaka, _again_. Maybe it was her life goal to mess up his. Maybe she even got a sadistic enjoyment because of it. He had no clue and he was almost glad about it. Sure he liked having the answer to everything, but when Ino was concerned he didn't mind being in the dark about some topics. He didn't need to know when her period was, something he now watched out for. He learned his lesson when he took a piece of a very agitated Ino's chocolate bar. She screeched every curse word she knew at him, her voice was like a bullhorn.

Knowing his peaceful time at the hill was over, Shikamaru began walking back to his house. The image of the bubbly blonde remained in his mind. He remembered she wasn't at school that day. He thought it was strange because Ino did everything in her power to not miss school. Unless she was on her death bed, she was at her desk taking notes. She might be miserable with a pack a tissues that was quickly emptying. Shikamaru remembered practically carrying her to the nurse's office when she came to school with a burning fever.

Shikamaru didn't like the idea of her being sick. It always worried him now, even if it was a little cold. Their freshman year Ino became obsessed with the idea men only liked skinny girls. No matter how much Shikamaru said otherwise, she dieted and exercised constantly. The compliments she got on her slimmer physique only fueled her obsession. She had her parents fooled so they didn't suspect anything. Ino was on a downhill spiral and kept it a secret. Not even Shikamaru realized the severity until she was too absorbed. She began to point out her flaws instead of her assets. Her clothes got baggier and she got sicker easier. Still no one questioned her. He cursed at himsekf now for not complimenting her more often. He used to snort at her ego, which must've hurt her confidence at the time.

He did catch on quicker than the rest and watched her carefully. He scolded her on being too skinny, she brushed it off. Shikamaru mustered compliments, though she accused him of lying. Every time he questioned her on her several diets she would make silly excuses. He gave her his lunch whenever she "forgot" hers. She was forced into eating then, but there wasn't much else he could've done. He couldn't follow her around and make sure she ate properly. It didn't occur to him to tell her parents. He certainly felt like an idiot then. He still felt guilt two years later.

Her disorder finally became apparent when she collapsed. She had come to get him from the hill. Her breath was a bit uneven but Shikamaru assumed she had probably run to much out of stupidity. He was stubborn and refused to leave as usual. She had futiley tugged on his arm much to his annoyance. His eyes were closed so he couldn't see the break of sweat on her forehaed or the flush on her cheeks. He smirked when she released her hold on him. It quickly vanished when he heard a thud beside him and saw Ino laying unconsience. She looked like a broken doll. Shikamaru called an ambulance and scooped her in his arms, he was scared at how light she was. He carried her up to the park and waited for what seemed like hours for the ambulance.

The doctors said she had a lack of nutrients and questioned her diet. She hid her food so her parents thought she was eating. She woke up in the middle of the night to exercise. She only ate when she was on the verge of collapse, but that couldn't begin to be enough. The idea of her having anorexia never occurred to the genius. It made his heart hurt thinking about how Ino couldn't see how beautiful she was.

She was hospitalized for a week. The treatments were expensive, so Ino objectrd with paying them. That didn't change anyone's mind so her treatments continued and she attended therapy until she was confident again. Still her constant dieting caused her immune system to weaken permanently. She didn't get sick as often, but when she did Shikamaru's protective instincts sharpened. He took it upon himself to take care of her.

He didn't realize he was at her doorstep. His hand moved to knock before he had time to think about it. Her mother answered the door and her eyes narrowed unintentionally. Shikamaru felt nervous as she let him in. His eyes looked around and saw Ino curled on the sofa. Her face was soaked in guilt as she faced him. nodded at her daughter and Shikamaru's nerves heightened. He saw the pleading in Ino's eyes and pondered running away. He could tell there was a silent argument between the two women.

Ino's mother went upstairs without another word. Shikamaru sat on the floor and looked up at Ino. She was avoiding eye contact. She tugged her pale green t-shirt down nervoulsy.

"Why did you come over?" She asked bitterly. She hated his timing he was always late, so why was he here now. Her mom persuaded her into telling him the next time she saw him. She thought she had a day, not a few hours. Telling the truth to her mother was hard enough, telling it to Shikamaru was going to be a nightmare. Her blunt nature failed her earlier so she needed to rely on something else.

"You weren't at school so I came here to see if you were sick. You know I get worried about you." He shrugged. His eyes still peered up at her and saw the light pink hue on her cheeks. Ino sat up and scooted over for him to sit next to her. Shikamaru obliged and observed Ino's nervousness was greater than his. She bit her lip and her baby blue eyes were focused at her lap.

"I'm not sick." She mumbled. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered at a rapid pace.

"Well then what's wrong?" He responded. His nervous tick resurfaced and he scratched the bale of his neck. He already made a list of scenarios his head that would make her nervous. She wasn't the nervous type usually.

Ino just wanted to come out and say it. No matter how many times she said it in her head she couldn't say it to him. He deserved to know since he was the father. But what if he wanted to keep it, they couldn't be parents. She saw how fatherly he was to Mirai, what if he wanted his own. Of course he wouldn't want one when he was sixteen, but that couldn't he helped now. What if he grew attached to it? That pain would be unbearable for him. There was so much wrong with telling him, Ino wondered why she had to do it. She didn't want to do it alone, but that's selfish she thought.

"I'm pregnant!" She blurted out. Her hands flew to her mouth in hopes she could erase what she said. The damage was done. She turned her face away from his, ashamed that she hid it so long. She was positive he was furious, how could he not be? She gave him the cold shoulder before and now the tables would turn. She hurt him so much already, could he endure it anymore?

Shikamaru sat there, shocked and confused. He counted the weeks in his head, seven. She was such a blabber mouth how could she hide this for seven weeks? Why didn't she tell him? Maybe she thought he was unreliable. She should've been able to count on him to care about her and their baby. He didn't have a job to pay for ultrasounds or anything else the baby needed. He was lazy and cold. That's not what a father should be.

They sat there in silence taking in their thoughts. Ino felt herself shaking and wrapped her arms around herself. Her cheeks felt wet and she cursed at herself for crying again. She didn't want to cry in front of Shikamaru especially. She felt like she didn't deserve to cry about it any longer.

Shikamaru stared at her, unable to register what was going on around him. He wasn't mad at her for keeping it a secret. He figured she was still in shock about it. Now he was looking at her too ashamed to look back at him. With one motion his arm reached out and swept Ino into his chest. She clutched the fabric of his uniform in two small fists and cried in his shoulder. She loved how safe she felt with him.

"I'm so sorry Shika." She cried. She was sorry for keeping him in the dark. She was sorry for staying with Sai even after she cheated on him. She was sorry for being so cold to him. She was sorry for pushing him away.

Shikamaru used his free hand to push her chin up to see her face. "I'm not mad at you Ino." He assured. He kissed the top of her head before letting her face drop back down onto his shoulder.

"What are we going to do?" Ino asked, praying he had the answer. He always thought two hundred moves ahead after all. But for once in his life he had no idea.


	9. Chapter 9

How they went from Ino crying on his shoulder to Shikamaru laying his head on her lap was beyond Ino's mother. She had eavesdropped on them, ready to soften the blow to Shikamaru. To her surprise it was unneeded. She now stared fondly at them. Ino rubbed a coarse spike of his hair between her thumb and index finger. Shikamaru was making her daughter laugh with every joke in his sarcasm library. Probably trying to cheer her up. She always had a suspicion there were feelings between the two. They never acted on them so her suspicions faded, now her radar was ringing at a dangerous rate.

She made her way back up the stairs, avoiding the creaky step. Ino turned her head back and was satisfied her mother had left them in piece. She learned how to detect when her mother eavesdropped on her from her father. She didn't like to admit she used it on more than a few occasions.

"Does your mom always listen in on your conversations." Shikamaru asked. His eyebrow was raised at the blonde. She shrugged in response. He shifted slightly and was met with a light frown. He chuckled under his breath, which deepened her pout.

"If you keep wiggling around I'm going to shove you off." She warned and poked his chest. He rolled his eyes in response and contemplated shifting once more to provoke her. He decided against it, knowing her fiery temper all too well. She was like a volcano, she only truly erupted once in awhile, but it's after effects were devastating. She also had her little eruptions here and there which all her friends tried to avoid at all times.

"But I'm comfy." He whined, dragging out every syllable. Ino shook her head and tugged a spike of his ponytail lightly. "Lazy bum." She teased. They settled into a comfortable silence. Shikamaru tried to keep his usual levelhead for her sake. On the inside rushes of panic filled his veins. How would they manage through the next several months? He didn't have a job and Ino's salary only covered so much. He assumed their mothers would help out, but how much he had no idea. He didn't even want to think of his mother. He would be greeted with lecture after lecture with a fine amount of scolding thrown in.

Then there was the matter of the actual baby. He was positive Ino had no clue on what she wanted. But he did know nothing could sway her mind once it was sent. For once he didn't know what he wanted either. They weren't ready for a child, they were sixteen. On the other hand they had months to prepare. Their maturity levels were higher than the average teenagers. He already cared for Mirai like she was his own. He knew Ino's big heart would make her the perfect mother.

Still his mind couldn't shake the idea of adoption. Yes, it was the practical choice. Yes, hundreds of people would kill to have a baby because they were unable to have one of their own. Yes, they could choose their baby's parent and know it was safe. But he couldn't imagine someone else raising his baby. Cradling it, tucking it into bed, receiving bear hugs when it ran out of school to greet them, going to parent teacher conferences, watching it grow up, sending it off to college, going to the wedding, and finally just showing every inch of love for it. He didn't like calling their baby "it" either, but the gender couldn't be determined.

Their baby would be his precious treasure. The one thing he couldn't live without. No matter what troublesome feed he would have to do, it's bright face would wash away his trouble. He wanted to keep it. But he knew he wasn't the only one to make a decision. Ino had to be all in it for them to work. It would be tough, but he knew their wills of iron could conquer it.

"I want to keep it." He blurted. He looked her dead in the eye. It wasn't a slip up, he meant it and would fight for it. Shikamaru was ready to push his lazy nature aside to win the war.

Ino looked away and frowned. Those words were the exact reason she kept her pregnancy hidden from him. It was all in vain now. She figured he'd get attached quickly, but hoped she could push him away. A baby would hold back all the potential he had to make something of himself. She wasn't sure on her standing on the situation, but she was willing to give up and put the baby up for adoption. It was the responsible thing to do. The baby would be in much better hands than what the two of them could offer.

"We can't do that Shika. Think practically like you always do." She objected. He let her get her way so she hoped this was no exception. Shikamaru sat up from her lap and narrowed his eyes at her. She wouldn't know that since she was focused on bookshelf against the wall of the living room. It needed some wood polish and books were slightly tilted. Ino made a mental note to fix that.

"I think we can." He snapped. Ino shook her head and continued staring at the tall shelf. The bottom shelf was emptier than the rest. She added book shopping to her mental list. Maybe some romance, they didn't have much of those. She felt his eyes weighing down on her and deepened her frown.

"It's our baby Ino, how can we give it up?" He asked, his tone softer. His hand moved to her stomach. His dark brown eyes softened at the touch. Ino ripped his hand off and finally turned to face him. Her usually soft eyes were daggers. "It's _my_ baby. Alright mine, I can handle everything. _You_ won't have to do anything, seems fitting for you." She fired back.

Ino resorted back to icing him out, granted it gave her varied results. She didn't want his help anymore. She didn't want her shoulder to cry on. She didn't want a father to her baby. Ino silently cursed at her mother for pushing her into telling the truth. It caused her nothing but grief. She had her plan and even if it meant losing him forever she would stick with it like glue.

"Ino we can't think like that anymore. We are in this together from now on." He objected. This only angered Ino more.

"Why can't you just let me push you away! No matter how much I try you keep coming back. I thought your life motto was to avoid trouble," she paused and pointed an accusing finger at herself, "And I am trouble! I am the most troublesome thing you will ever meet." She exploded. She already burst off the couch and the volume of her voice scared even her. To her surprise Shikamaru showed no offense and stood up in front of her. His hands held her arms and pulled her closer to him. He pushed his lips onto hers.

"That's why." He smirked when he pulled back. The kiss was short and sweet, exactly the answer she needed. She was still frustrated at him. Maybe her mind wasn't made up after all.

Her mother coughed behind them. She heard Ino's screaming and hurried down to rescue the lazy boy. Again her efforts were unneeded to her enjoyment. The two teenagers backed away from each other with guilty smiles. "Well I guess you two have already made up." She smirked and went to the kitchen.

"Mackeral still your favorite Shikamaru?" She called as she began digging through the kitchen cabinets. The answer was affirmitive and began preparing the mackeral. Ino wished she could cook as well as her mother. Ino was good, but her mom's cooking blew her out of the water.

They took their seats after the meal was prepared. Ino and her mother were having a silent dispute Shikamaru recognized. Ino didn't want her mother to pester Shikamaru, but wanted to get all the details. Shikamaru are his favorite dish passively as their glares intensified.

"So how are you Shikamaru?" asked in a too cheerful voice. Ino pondered throwing her chopstick at her mother at that moment. Her lips were pursed in a thin line as she watched them make small talk. Shikamaru answered round after round of questions, sharing the occasional annoyed glance with Ino.

"So are you two a couple now?" Ms. Yamanaka questioned, her eyes teasing her daughter.

"We hadn't thought about that yet. I guess so." Shikamaru answered nervously. He looked at Ino for approval. She shrugged in response, clearly she hadn't thought about that either.

"I suppose so, but we have to keep it a secret from school. To you know avoid suspicions and what not." Ino added. The thought to keep it a secret just came to her, but it made sense in her mind. She figured after she broke up with Sai rumors would run wild about why. If she revealed she was with Shikamaru right after, people would wonder if she cheated. Then the possibility of them thinking they had sex was possible. Ino wanted to avoid the rumors and was willing to do whatever it took.

"How exciting, a secret romance!" squealed. Ino was embarrased by her mom's inner teenager. Ino looked over at Shikamaru, he looked slightly disappointed.

"Relax, it'll only be for a little while. A month tops." She reassured and squeezed his knee. He still didn't look convinced.

"I promise." Ino sighed, annoyed at his resistance.

"Well you did keep your last secret for seven weeks, just saying." He muttered under his breath. She heard, she always heard. Ino punched his leg playfully and rolled her eyes.

"One month and that's it. You can even announce it yourself." Ino persisted and winked at the somber boy. He sighed and chuckled, "Deal."


	10. Chapter 10

It was the day Ino dreaded, the day she was going to break up with Sai. It was the fair thing to do, but she hated it. He had been her perfect ruse. Maybe he wasn't the greatest boyfriend in the world, but he wasn't bad either. It wasn't like she loved him and she was positive he didn't love her. The breakup shouldn't be hard if that was the case. Ino knew better, rumors and stories would spark about her breakup. She had no idea what they would be, so she couldn't plan ahead for them either.

She wanted to do it in school so if he took it badly, which she doubted, he couldn't really act on it given their surrounding. Still she wanted to do it in privacy, there was no point in making a spectacle. So Ino planned it out and asked him to meet her in the astronomy room, it was empty during their lunch period. She always loved astronomy, she remembered watching the stars all the time when she was a kid. The way they twinkled was magical. Astronomy was her favorite class because the room was decorated like the night sky.

Ino twirled a piece of blonde hair nervously as she waited for Sai to come. She was going to keep it simple and try to make it not sound like a cliché. Her eyes were focused on a replica of Neptune as the artist strode in. His eyes scanned her hungrily, taking the meeting the wrong way.

"Why'd you want to meet here?" He questioned emotionlessly as he scanned the room. He didn't take much of an interest in astronomy and didn't think Ino did either. He inched closer to her like a predator hunting its prey. For every inch he took forward she took two backwards.

"I want to break up." She answered firmly. She noted how she was just blurting stuff out nowadays. She spilled her pregnancy to her mom and Shikamaru unintentionally, now she gave no build up to Sai about breaking up.

Sai stopped in his tracks and raised a dark eyebrow at her. "Why?" He questioned curiously. That's one thing Ino loved and hated about Sai, he was so clueless. Sometimes his naivety was cute and other times it was frustrating, there wasn't a middle ground.

"Well you know we've been so distant lately and haven't even really acted like a couple. What's the point of staying one?" Ino responded, maybe a bit cliché but it worked. Sure it wasn't the real reason, but it was reason enough. The blonde smiled apologetically at him and brushed past him for the door. She gave herself a mental pat on the back for her good breakup skills. He wasn't even being persistent, of course she already figured he wouldn't be.

"Did I do something wrong?" Sai asked, Ino could feel his presence behind her. She didn't expect him to question her, but it seemed fair to her.

"I already told you we just don't click anymore. It's not anyone's fault." She shrugged. She felt thin, spidery fingers wrap around her wrist and flinched. She used to adore his delicate artist fingers and the way they crafted beautiful artwork. Now it felt like the grim reaper had his hand around her.

"Then why haven't you looked me in the eye once?" Sai retorted and spun her around to face him. She wondered why she used to love that move of his, she certainly wanted to be free of it now. She didn't realize she hadn't looked into his deep black eyes. Now they looked like they could swallow her up, like a black hole.

"You didn't do anything wrong." Ino assured, her eyes locked with his. It wasn't a lie.

"So if I didn't do anything wrong, then you did." He replied flatly, his voice drained of emotion. Ino cursed that he was able to put the pieces together so quickly. His face was a blank slate. She was hesitating, Sai could tell by the fact Ino's blue eyes flashed with uncertainty. He wanted an answer, but didn't know how people got them. He needed a human rule book, maybe going to a boarding school for the majority of his life wasn't a good idea.

Without a second thought Sai seized her other wrist and lifted her off the floor. Ino yelped as her feet dangled in the air. Sai stretched both their arms to their full extension, putting Ino slightly above eye level.

"What the hell Sai!" She screeched and kicked him, hard. He dropped her and clutched his leg in pain. He was surprised at her strength given her small stature.

"You can't just grab people like that!" Ino reprimanded, her face flushed in anger.

"I thought people use intimidation to get answers." Sai shrugged innocently. By the way she was reacting, he figured his thoughts were wrong. She was up on her feet with her arms crossed. Her dark glare bore down on him.

"No they don't you idiot! Where on earth did you hear that!" She screeched. His complete cluelessness on normal human interaction was appalling to her. "You know that criminal show that's on Fridays." He answered meekly. He began to realize the people on those shows were criminals, not high school students.

"Do I look like a criminal to you?" She scoffed pursed lips. He shook his head rapidly trying not to anger her more. He felt like she was going to explode at any moment.

"You could've asked _politely_." Ino huffed as she brushed dust off her skirt.

"Alright then can you tell me why you are breaking up with me?" Sai questioned from his spot on the floor. He looked up at the blonde and for once he felt towered over. "I'm in love with someone else." With that Ino strode out of the astronomy room, leaving Sai dumbstruck.

* * *

Ino laced her fingers through Shikamaru's as they watched the stars in his backyard. She did love her stargazing. Shikamaru liked anything activity that he could lay on the grass. He further enjoyed having Ino beside him.

"Your hand is cold." She whined and slipped her hand out of his. He rolled his chocolate eyes at the troublesome girl. Ino wrapped her hands under his jacket around his belly. Her blonde hair cascaded around his front as she rested her head on his chest.

"Better?" He yawned and stretched an arm over her. She liked his light ways of showing affection. She knew he cared and he didn't try too hard to show it. It was moments like this that she wondered why she wasted her time with other boys, she had her perfect one within reach all along.

Maybe it was that she didn't want to ruin their friendship, having sex almost did that exact thing. Maybe she was hesitant because of his laziness and anti-romantic views. They were always mistaken for lovers and Ino never understood why. They were best friends enjoying each other's company. Sure they stole the occasional kiss or she'd squeeze the air out of him with a hug when she got too excited. Of course they got protective of each other, it was a strong factor in both their personalities. That didn't make them an item. It was just how their relationship worked. There were never strings attached or favors to repay. They had immature arguments due to their opposite personalities. They dropped their infamous guards around each other. Her hand fit into his like a lock and key. When it came to a companion, they were thankful for having each other.

"Never been better." She sighed contently. The night air chilled her bare legs and she pouted at not changing into sweatpants before going outside. She contemplated whining until Shikamaru would cuddle with her. He rarely did, something that irked her to no end. Still she couldn't complain too much when it came to Shikamaru. He had his quirks, but so did Ino. She was bossy, he was lazy. She was an extreme overacheiver, he was an extreme underachiever. They were two sides of the same coin.

"How'd your mom react when you told her you knocked me up?" Ino asked with a light laugh. She could imagine the volcanic eruption Yoshino probably had. Pots and pans thrown all over the place, Shikamaru grabbing a pillow as a shield, neighbors groaning, all while Yoshino's voice rose two octaves.

"I could've murdered him, but that would leave you all alone!" Yoshino called from the back door. The slight nervousness in Shikamaru's expression made Ino giggled to herself. His healthy fear of his mother was just another one of his quirks Ino learned to deal with.

"That's good because I'm not ready to let him go." Ino agreed and tightened her grip. He grunted in response, but let it slide.

"Will you ever be?" He teased, aware he was pushing a button with her. He liked pushing her buttons like she was a timebomb. He would never tell her but getting a rise out of her was a favorite pastime of his. He liked wondering if he'd get a flustered pout, stammering for a good comeback, a not very witty insult, or silent treatment that lasted five minutes at most.

"Do you want me to be?" She shot back with a cocky smirk. Instead of a verbal answer he sat up, bringing Ino up with him inside his legs and wrapped his arms snuggly around her. Ino tried to contain her childlike excitement over his spontaneous move. He was a good cuddler even though he heavily denied it. Ino blamed his masculine pride, she knew he secretly liked the activity.

"No Miss Yamanaka I do not." He replied and tickled her waist. The way her pale face lit up made Shikamaru never want to let her go either.


	11. Chapter 11

The smell of sweat and sugary sweet perfume filled the Hyuga complex. Ino pitied the timid Hinata Hyuga for having a wild child sister like Hanabi. Hanabi was the polar opposite of her sister, she was a firecracker just like Ino. Ino did admit the little freshman could throw a killer rager, especially for only being fourteen. Ino used to be that crazy party girl too, and part of her still was. She was the queen of popularity, soon to be dethroned. For once in her life, she was hanging in the back corner. The same party animal that used to push her way to the center of the dance floor no matter what. She worked every angle of her body in perfect sync to the blaring pop music. Her bangs would stick to her forehead with sweat, but her hands were still in the air and her hips swayed to the beat. Her other friends like Mitsuri and Sakura would cheer her on. Ino consumed whatever drink handed to her, leaving her tipsy in minutes. She didn't care, Hinata's serious cousin Neji would never let anything happen to her, in his own house that is. Anywhere else Ino doubted. Actually she believed he only cared because having his family known as the family that allowed rape at parties would be unbearable due to their pride. She could've always called Shikamaru if anything got serous, since he firmly denied ever stepping foot into a party. The only party he ever attended was Choji's sixth birthday party, where he and Ino were the only two to show up. He did insist to call him anyway, as troublesome as it would be.

That was back when she could drink and dance without consequence. Ino's uniform for ragers was to wear as little as possible. Denim shorts with crop tops or when she was feeling especially scandalous she switched the top out for her lucky string bikini. Compared to most people at ragers she was being modest. She was actually glad her apathetic friend refused to make an appearance, she actually cared about his opinion. He'd scold her into the next week if he knew about her secret attire.

Now her blue eyes scanned the room for any familiar face. She was getting irritated by the feral looks she was receiving by her drunk peers. Maybe wearing a skin tight minidress wasn't the smartest idea of hers. She wanted to flaunt her figure for as long as possible before it would be marred by a baby bump. She had to turn away offers of the obviously spiked punch, a rookie party thrower mistake. When she threw her ragers the alcohol was displayed proudly and without shame.

Sakura was trying to work her boyish figure across the room. Ino smirked as she sauntered up to her best friend. The girl's emerald eyes flickered with envy as she frowned. She hated her best friend's naturaly voluptuous figure.

"Let me show you how it's done billboard brow." Ino sneered at her. She fluidly bent down and grazed her hand back up her leg. She turned confidently and let the music take over her. The upbeat lyrics fueled her veins like nicotine. She needed to let lose tonight, let it all out on the dance floor. Other girls tried to keep in step with the blonde to no avail. They were no match for Ino, she owned the party and everyone knew it. Her blue eyes twinkled as they made contact with the hungry schoolboys. Some seniors thinking she was an easy hit, others were meek freshman that would murder to have her for a night. The crowded complex seemed to fill the single room and circle around her.

Ino used every trick in her little black book of partying, she swayed, shook, spun, shimmied, and slid. She decided she didn't care about anything that would face her once the party was over, this was her night to live. Her night to finally breathe. Her night to rid herself of her fantasies to prepare for reality. She was getting cheers and hollers that could've deafened her.

Then she was zapped back to reality, the song was over. The entire party was focused on her, eyes full of admiration, jealousy, hunger, awe, and so much more. She suddenly felt the weight of judgement on her. It had never fazed her before, she enjoyed the attention. Now she felt disgusted by herself, she just let them absorb her like it was nothing. Her prideful nature felt undignified. She didn't even feel like herself.

Ino hadn't realized her feet had carried her to the front door and her hand had thrown the door open. The brisk air felt like a slap across her face, it felt deserved. What kind of role model would she be. What if her future children asked what she was like in high school? How would she answer them? But a child wasn't that far in the future for her. She thought she had accepted the thought, it was inevitable. Then why did it feel so sudden, like when she first saw those two damn pink lines.

_Read between the lines,_ she had thought that at the time. Now she finally knew what that saying meant. The two lines symbolized her pregnancy, but there was so much more to it. The meaning of maturing and acceptance. The resurfacing of her old feelings for Shikamaru. The difficulty of making a choice. Everything she had to give up to keep her baby healthy and safe. _Her baby_, she liked the ring of it. She knew Shikamaru wanted to keep it. She refused it so much in her head, but her heart said otherwise.

Ino cursed at herself for getting stuck in her thoughts, her stupid feet had carried her away from the complex. She had no idea where she was, the night was too dark to tell anything apart. Her baby blue eyes searched the area in a daze. She figured she wasn't too far from the complex. Besides she learned defend herself so she would never get caught off guard again. She could protect herself from any creep in the night, she didn't need Shikamaru to rescue her. It wasn't like she could call him to pick her up since she had no idea where she was.

Her arms and legs were turning blue from the cold. Her pace quickened as she searched for anything familiar. She wanted some kind of warmth, her home sounded nice. It was safe and warm, everything she wanted at the moment. Instead a wet drop landed on her forehead. Then another until rain smacked the concrete under her feet. Her already sweat slicked hair was plastered to her face like glue. To her surprise she erupted in laughter, the sweet irony of it all. Her entire life had turned into ironic gold and there was nothing she could do to stop it. There was no point in whining, it wouldn't solve anything like it used to.

She remebered the advice her father had given her when she was young, _when you're scared just laugh. _Ino didn't understand why, she thought screaming would've been more suitable. He replied saying laughing will make what we you're scared of go away. Ino still didn't believe him, and rolled her eyes at him. She thought he was being a cheesy father at the time. Turns out his advice was exactly what she needed.

Ino continued to walk around her neighborhood, luck wasn't on her side that night. Luck hadn't been on her side for the past two months. She was drenched to the bone that combined with the chill air, Ino felt like a human popsicle. Ino sighed as she trudged through the puddles of the road. She hugged herself and wondered what time it was. She got to the party only an hour prior, how was it so dark already. Crickets were chirping, interrupting the silence. Her mom would flip if she didn't get home soon. Especially after all her previous shenanigans.

Ino was once again zapped out of her thoughts, this time by a car horn. Her reflexive instincts heightened as she spun around. Ino was relived when it was Choji's car, both Shikamaru and Choji had already stepped out of the car. Shikamaru was faster and brought her into his arms. He didn't understand why because he wasn't much of an affectionate person, at least not in public. He always worried about her, but never acted on it. At most he poked her forehead or held her hand, not even lacing there fingers. Shikamaru muttered his signature phrase as the rain soaked them head to toe.

"When did you two get so cozy?" Choji teased, his eyebrows dancing in accusation. They forgot that Choji had no clue about their romance. They kept their secret from everyone, including their other best friend. It wasn't a long secret so they didn't feel too guilty.

"Since he knocked me up." Ino responded in a matter-of-fact tone. Her blunt nature was back. She saw nothing wrong in telling Choji, he wasn't a blabber mouth. By the way Shikamaru's jaw dropped and he pushed her face into his chest to muffle any other secret she wood share. Choji's auburn eyes bulged out of his head and they looked between his two friends.

"Wait, so she's pregnant?" Choji choked barely over a whisper. He asked the question directly to Shikamaru, as he was getting flustered with the blonde. Ino peeped her head out of his chest and nodded. Choji chuckled as his two friends bickered about her spilling their secret.

"Sorry we kept it from you for-" Ino added before Shikamaru placed his hand over her mouth to keep the loud mouth from blurting out their secret to the whole village. Ino pulled it off her with a defensive pout. His frown plastered on his face.

"Looks like I need to teach you what a _secret_ is." He groaned and lifted the girl off her feet and into the car. Her laughter filled the air and made both boys grin. Shikamaru sat next to Ino in the backseat instead of the passenger seat like usual. Ino squeezed his arm as payback.

"So how did you guys find me anyway?" Ino questioned.

"Sakura called and said you disappeared so I got Choji and we drove around looking for you." Shikamaru answered in his signature monotonous voice. It was his shield to hide his true emotions. He would never tell Ino how calm and collected demeanor shifted to slightly panicked determination he heard she was missing. How could he not? He always cared for her particularly now that she was carrying his baby. He hated anything that could put the people he cared about in trouble.

"He made me drive so fast that he practically had me at gunpoint." Choji added in a teasing manner. Shikamaru glared at the larger boy and freed his arm from Ino. He crossed his arms over his chest and rolled eyes.

"Aw you must've been pretty worried about me." Ino purred with a wink. She nudged his shoulder playfully, earning her an annoyed huff. Still he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "Maybe." He replied with a hint of a mysterious tone. But Ino knew it wasn't a mystery, she had him wrapped around her finger. That was something they both knew.

Choji interrupted them before Ino could get a retort in, "Hey if you two want to cuddle and make out or whatever it is you guys do, can you do somewhere besides the backseat of my car?"


	12. Chapter 12

"How long have you liked her for?" Choji asked his best friend. They sat on Shikamaru's hill and ate chips, their two favorite pastimes. They never got bored of their lazy afternoons.

Shikamaru picked at the grass and let it slip through his fingers, taking a moment to think about the question. He didn't know how to answer the question because he had never given it much thought. He'd known her since they were in diapers, how could he know exactly when he got his at the time innocent crush on her. There were sixteen years worth of memories to choose from. He never thought of her in a romantic way when they were glued at the hip at five years old. Those indifferent feelings continued throughout elementary school. The idea of puppy love was troublesome to the young boy. He hated girls at that time, still does. He was just her loudmouth best friend, he would've liked if her voice had volume control. He never asked her to change at that time and still wouldn't now.

The idea of having a crush on his lifelong friend seemed like something from a bad romantic comedy movie. Nothing he thought would happen to him. It wasn't until they were twelve when Ino took an interest in the school heartthrob Sasuke Uchiha, that Shikamaru wanted to make her see his good side. He started opening doors for her and giving her teases to fluster her. He felt his first bit of jealousy. He made sure she knew he would always be there for her, but tried to be subtle about it. How well it worked he didn't know.

That same year was in Ino herself became popular in her peer's eyes, particularly the boys. That was back when they miserably tried to flirt, but Ino pushed them away. It didn't worry Shikamaru too much at the time. He trusted Ino could handle a few lovesick school boys. He still acted aloof about his growing feelings for the girl around others. He was focused on keeping their relationship the same. He figured his little crush would fade so he didn't want to ruin things between them.

He did not know why he liked the loud and bossy blonde. He knew it wasn't about her looks he always knew she was pretty, but being pretty wasn't part of his criteria. She didn't fit most of his criteria in all honesty, she was troublesome, bossy, loud, persistent, eccentric, and ao many other qualities he wanted to live without. It was when she showed her well hidden soft side. She compromised her feelings for her other friends' happiness, she was kind and nurturing when she needed to be, she had a soft spot for kids. She was his perfect verbal sparring partner, his sarcasm and her sass worked in perfect unison. Ino was his troublesome girl, something no one could replace. And he never wanted anyone to replace him. That's when he knew his crush wasn't going to leave him anytime soon.

_They were in gym class, a clas Shikamaru despised with a passion. As much as he tried to use no effort, it was forced upon him. Still he hung in the back of the line and let the eager students like Kiba or Naruto take his turn. They were playing baseball in the courtyard. Shikamaru "waited" for his turn to bat, which meant bribing Choji to strike out since his team had two outs and class would be over by the time he had to actually bat. It was a perfect plan in his eyes. He planned his spot in line carefully, fully aware Kiba would cut him in line and he could hide behind Shino. His eyes were glued to the clouds above him. The sound of the ball cutting through the air filled his eyes. Ino was pitching on the opposite team. She was better than the rest of the students except Sasuke, who was out sick that day. So she took her favorite position because she was front and center. Choji was up to bat, giving a nod to Shikamaru. He was going to carry out his plan perfectly. That was until his second strike, the other kids in line cheered him on. Usually they yelled at him or groaned when he went up to bat. Shikamaru knew Choji desperately wanted those kind words instead of insults. Shikamaru shook his head furiously at his plump friend, he wasn't about to let Choji ruin his laziness. Choji offered an apologetic smile and readied his bat once more._

_The crack of the bat making contact with the ball satisfied his teammates. The shriek of pain that followed was anything was satisfying to Shikamaru. All their eyes landed on his blonde best friend on the ground. A large welt covered her calf as she gripped it with a wince. She forced her weight on her palms in front of her as she tried to stay upright. Her baby blue eyes flickered with pain even though she tried to mask her agony through a light laugh. Shikamaru every note of hurt in her voice as he made his way to her. Another boy was faster, Shikamaru couldn't place his name. Shikamaru knew there was no doubt he was only trying to comfort her, but he didn't care. He took it upon himself to take care of her, not some random guy they didn't even know. He hated seeing her hurt, it pained him more to see her in distress than here actual problem. _

_"I'll take her down to the nurse's office." Shikamaru stated, stressing the "I". He shot a dark glare at the other boy. He took the hint and went off to his other friends. By then all the students had dispersed and found their friends on the field._

_ "No really I'm fine." Ino reassured him, she didn't like people worrying about her. Shikamaru ignored her and helped her to her feet. He had an arm securely around her waist and the other holding her wrist around his neck. Ino's blonde ponytail cascaded his shoulder, tickling where his arms were bare. _

_"You're making a scene. I can get there on my own." Ino hissed as they began walking towards the office. All the students were watching as Ino limped down the field, having Shikamaru as her only balance. Shikamaru didn't mind the staring since it never fazed him anyway. All he cared about was making sure she was alright. He walked slow trying to match her pace. His eyes refused to look at her blue eyes, he was afraid they would swallow him up the ocean. He never saw her small yet thankful smile._

"I dunno awhile I guess." Shikamaru lied, there was no way he'd tell Choji he had a crush on their friend for four years. Giving a vague answer was the easy way to go.

"But you slept with her, I don't think liking her for 'awhile' would make you do that." Choji objected, he was unconvinced. When it came to Thai best friends he was very observant. Shikamaru sweat dropped. He didn't want to keep telling lies to his best friend but what if he blabbed about to Ino? She'd never let him hear the end of it.

"Fine, since last year." Shikamaru continued, still a lie but better. It seemed plausible for a guy like himself. Choji would never think he could commit to a crush for four years anyway.

"You're still lying buddy." Choji chuckled. He knew Shikamaru was lying, even though he never said anything Choji knew the little crush went farther back than a year. He knew they kissed when they were ten, but it was for a dare. Choji was still surprised Ino did the dare without question and pecked Shikamaru on the lips. Shikamaru was in a confused daze for once in his life at that moment.

"Why are you being so nosy?" He shot back.

Even now four years later he still couldn't name exactly what it was about her he adored. He knew her personality like the back of his hand, there was nothing new there. She remained her loud, bossy, whiny, blunt, vain, and aggressive traits that would've been a major turnoff to him. Sure he loved the way her nose scrunched when she got annoyed at him or Choji. He didn't have to lift a finger to get a rise out of her, and smirked at her weak comebacks and pout. He loved her confident smile when she aced a test. Maybe it was all those things.

She always supported in one way or another. She cheered for him at the top of her lungs when she forced him into joining the soccer team. He wanted to be benched the whole season, but she tormented him until he actually played. At least the season was somewhat short. She was always in the bleachers and dragged as many of her friends as possible to support him. He always objected to her showing up at all, especially with anyone else. He could deal with her and Choji and that was about it when it came to cheering friends. She unconditionally believed in him.

"Can't a best friend be curious?" Choji responded and turned his head to face his best friend.

"Well don't ask me questions I can't answer." Shikamaru yawned and sat up, leaning on his palms for support. He could still feel her pale hair on his fingertips when he brushed the bangs off her forehead. For once her eye were all on him, not Sai or Sasuke.

He pondered why she even had sex with him in the first place. He didn't know why he had sex with her either. Sure his hormones played a huge part in it, but he hadn't even thought about sex before. He hated how he didn't have enough courage to be honest with her. He said he was happy for her when she and Sai began dating, lie. He said he didn't care about her crush the size of Russia on Sasuke, lie. He never told her his feelings. He was a coward, always was. So how did he get the nerve to sleep with her. A kiss maybe he could've done, but not sex.

"So how was it?" Choji pestered, his eyebrows rose in mischief. Shikamaru shot him a glare quickly. He was so forward it was embarrassing.

"Aw come on we're all best friends here." Choji defended his lips quirked in a goofy grin.

"Ever heard of privacy? It's this foreign idea that neither you or Ino understand." Shikamaru snickered. He thought back to Ino's secrets having a habit of spilling out. Her constant nosiness in his personal life, trying to play matchmaker for him. According to her he wasn't a completely lost cause, but pretty damn close.

"So would she tell me how it was?" Choji continued, already rising from his spot.


	13. Chapter 13

It had been twelve weeks. Ino scowled at the slight baby bump, to the common eye it wasn't noticeable. It helped that she wore looser clothes to help conceal her growing belly. Her secret only had a little longer to live. She scrutinized every angle of her body in her full length mirror. She had to know if any particular stance would give her away, to her delight she was okay.

"Quit obsessing over the little things, or you'll drive yourself crazy." Her mother scolded. Ino offered a slight smile to her mother before dropping her gaze away from the mirror. She met her mom's eyes with a defeated sigh. There was only so much she could do now. She was in too deep to give up, for her sake and Shikamaru's. Elastic band pants were nearing her future and the judgmental looks were inevitable. Shikamaru was lucky, he didn't have to show the proof of their mistake. That's all it was, a mistake. Yes it brought them together, but what other good did it bring? Ino didn't believe there was. She bet Shikamaru thought it was a blessing. He was sentimental like that surprisingly. Maybe it was that he didn't have a father figure or that he babysits Mirai as a surrogate father. His bored expression always brightened when he felt her slowly growing belly. Ino had a suspicion he bought parenting books, he was always giving her tips that she didn't know existed. He even questioned her on baby names once, an idea she immediately shot down. She wasn't going to give their baby a name because that meant attachment. Ino knew giving up their baby was going to be one of the hardest things they would ever have to do. Why make it any harder? He was so focused on keeping it and she was so focused on adoption. She definitely questioned her choices, especailly now. Maybe they could make it as parents. Their parents could help out. Still adoption was the simpler option, it helped their baby and gave joy to its adoptive family.

"Have you decided on what to do about the baby?" Her mother asked. Ino shook her head with her signature pout. "He wants to keep it. I...don't know what I want." She shrugged. Her face marred with doubt and misery. She felt exhausted all day everyday. Her eyes were sunken and circled with darkness. Waves of nausea came over her constantly. The edges of her lips felt like thirty kind weights tugged them down into a permanent frown. She faked her usual cheerful demeanor around everyone else except herself and her mother. She even had Shikamaru fooled, a fact she was very proud of. She didn't want to worry him more than he usually does about her. Knowing she was was miserable would make him feel guilty, and Ino knew how much he let guilt overtake him. Guilt felt like a mountain on his shoulders. It didn't help that her blue eyes filled with concern over him, which only made him feel worse. Ino learned this from the sixteen years they knew each other.

"Well you still have time to decide, but you should choose soon. If you do choose the adoption route, waiting too long with the baby will only make it harder for you to lose it. And if you choose to keep it than that's more time for us to prepare for its arrival. But be one hundred and ten percent sure on your decision. Regrets are terrible things to hold onto." Her mother advised and stroked her daughter's platinum hair. Her face taking in Ino's somber appearance. She hated this side of her teenager. Naturally she got annoyed at her loud and overly perky nature, but it was so much better than the alternative.

"You look awful, you know that right?" Ms. Yamanaka scolded in her light tone. She meant it to be a joke, but it wasn't false. She knew her daughter was miserable. Ino gave a hollow laugh before moving onto her bed and curling up in the fetal position. Her knees were hugged to her chest and her face focused on her purple wall. It was the color of a violet, he father raised her to represent it. She was reminded of him constantly just by walking into her room. There was an air of morbidly in her room when she was alone. Like a ghost was always haunting it.

"Can I be alone right now?" Ino asked her mother, it was hardly a question, but more of a demand. Her mother obliged and quietly left the room, shutting the door behind her. Ino reached over and grabbed the picture on her bedside table, it was of her dad and her. She was seven and was showing him the first bouquet she ever made. The wild flowers were bended and sticking out between her fingertips, but there was so much joyful pride in her father's eyes. It was one of the only pictures of just the two of them, something Ino regretted. She always stuck her tongue out at him whenever he wanted to take a picture with her.

"I don't know if I want to cry, laugh, scream, punch something, be happy, or feel nothing at all. I don't know what's wrong with me." Ino's usually loud voice cracked just above a whisper at the picture. She feared with she raised her voice she'd break down. She waited for his assuring words, thinking he'd come out of the picture frame and hold her. The room was eerily silent except for the constant tick of the clock. Ino brought the floral bedspread over herself, a shield for her. Her face buried deep within the pastel colors. The picture inches from her face, she could just make it out with the edges of her vision.

He was always so proud of her when he was still living. Ino was sure she disappointed him now by being pregnant. That was something she couldn't bear to think about. Her dad was her personal cheerleader; he came to every art fair, every concert, every softball game, every graduation ceremony and made sure she could hear him from way up in the bleachers, there was nothing he was absent for. When she got ill he took off work to stay by her side and take care of her, even if it was just a little cold. He always carried bandages with him to heal the scrapes she received from her clumsiness. Her hand was always locked in his when they were out during festivals or other large gatherings. He could put her hair into a ponytail better and quicker than her mother. He kissed her goodnight even when she was already asleep. When she got scared he made sure to make her feel as safe and secure as possible and then some. He spoiled her rotten with every toy on the market.

"I'm sorry daddy." She croaked, her voice cracking at every word. She could still feel the soft pressure of his lips on her temple and the calluses on his hardworking hands. There was no doubt he was still watching over her. She could only imagine the pride draining out of his eyes. She figured he would've been at least a little relived that Shikamaru was the father. He trusted him above everyone, except himself, with Ino's well being. Shikamaru was the son of one of his best friends so he had that going for him. Inoichi admired the maturity and sense of responsibility Shikamaru held at his age. He knew Shikaku would pass on everything Shikamatu needed to be a success in life. Inoichi didn't like the idea of Ino spending hours a day with the boy, but it wasn't as terrible as he would've thought. He didn't have to worry about Shikamaru hurting her. He trusted he could keep her happy when he was away and he was never disappointed. He would have definitely preferred Ino to date Shikamaru over Sai, but he kept silent to maintain her happiness. He would do anything to keep his baby girl smiling without a care in the world. She was his little sunshine and the only rain cloud he let near her was Shikamaru.

"You know it wasn't planned or anything like that. I don't know what got into me, or him for that matter. I wish I could say it was unfair, but it's really not. We should have expected the worst consequence for our actions." She continued, her voice steadier than before. Her composure was returning thankfully. She had never tried to speak to her late dad, it was too traumatic. Now it was therapeutic to her, like wiping chalk off a chalk board. She could say what she was feeling to him and know he wouldn't judge her.

"If you were still alive would you forgive me? _Do_ you forgive me?" She questioned hoarsely, hoping her mother wasn't eavesdropping. It wouldn't have done any harm either way.

"I'm sure he does." Her mother's voice answered from the door way. Ino rolled her eyes at her mother's annoying habit. She should've expected it all along. The weights on her lips eased, maybe only fifteen pounds instead of thirty. She felt an odd air of peace.

"How long have you been listening?" Ino asked.

"Just that last part." She assured. Her face in a sympathetic smile. It killed her to see her daughter crumbling. Her long platinum hair was loose around her face. She was only lying to herself by lying to everyone. She wished she could be obliviously naive about their situation like Shikamaru appeared to be. He didn't know how much strain the baby put upon her. There was no way he knew what to do when it came to being a father. All he did was try to persuade her into keeping their child nowadays. He always had a plan, but Ino doubted his plan was correct now. He was being selfish, only caring about his own feelings on the matter. He denied these accusations and called her the selfish one for depriving him of his baby. She wanted to yell at him that his mind was so clouded up with fantasies about parenthood that reality was completely different.

"I don't want any of it. I want to be a normal teenager again, is that so bad? Why does he want to be a parent anyway, isn't it too troublesome?" She muttered bitterly. Her voice was like cracked glass. Sharp and clear. She loved the guy, but he was so frustrating! Of course she would never admit she loved him to anyone but herself, there was no need to confuse things any further. She didn't know if he loved her back and was in no rush to find out.

"Why don't you ask him yourself, I already called him over. Figured you two need a quality talk." Her mother answered, her voice invoking pressure on her. Ino's eyes widened at the words. She thrust the blankets away from herself and rushed to her vanity. Her hands shuffled through the assorted makeup.

"You could've warned me first! He can't see me like this." She shrieked as she picked up her compact mirror.

"I think this is exactly what he needs to see." He mother shot back and plucked the mirror away. She decided Shikamaru needed to see what she was going through. It was the only way for him to understand her side. Ino narrowed her baby blue eyes at her mother.

"He's already here, I may have told him you got a raging fever to move those lazy legs of his." Ms Yamanaka added with a smirk. She was fully aware of his protectiveness when it came to Ino's health. Ino shot another glare at her mother before trudging down the stairs to meet her lazy boyfriend. She stopped on the steps to smooth out her tangled hair.

She immediately saw his signature spiky ponytail above the couch. His back was to her. "That was a dirty trick your mom pulled, I see where your evilness came from." He yawned with a light chuckle. She forced a smile on her lips as she sat beside him. His arm slid around her waist and she kept her face turned away from his view. His eyebrows scrunched at her gloomy state.

"What's the matter?" He questioned. He _hated_ seeing her upset, something that he kept hidden even though people like Choji and Ino realized it. He acted aloof about the matter to anyone else.

She turned to face him, the sight shocked him. This was Ino Yamanaka, the girl that strived to look and be perfect. The girl he was looking at was not Ino, but a ghost of her. She radiated cheerfulness and optimism with every step she took. Her face always beamed, even if she was frowning. Her usually twinkling eyes were dull and surrounded by dark circles. She looked like the idea of sleep was a foreign topic. Her face was pale like always, but instead of being luminous it was sickly. He wanted to wrap a blanket around her and have her fall asleep on his shoulder. Anything to bring life back into her face.

"This baby is killing me. I'm exhausted but I can't fall asleep, that's insomnia right? I feel like I'm going to throw up all the time. The idea of losing everything is coming closer and I'm falling apart." Ino confessed with a gaze that chilled him. It felt like a mountain was lifted off her shoulders, but she still felt the weight off stress.

"But it's our baby, doesn't that make you feel happy?" Shikamaru replied, rubbing her arm in an effort to comfort her. His smirk melting into a slight smile. Ino hated how he was ignoring her.

"Aren't you listening to me? _I don't want to keep it._ I never have and I tried so hard to want to for you, but I can't. I can't love it like a mother because I'm not meant to be a mother yet. I'm sixteen and so are you, we are supposed to be be students stressing over exams and drama. We are not parents!" Ino burst, her eyes stinging with hot tears. Ino made up her mind and she couldn't be swayed. She didn't have the maternal instinct, she didn't want to throw away the rest of her youth to become a mother. She wasn't going to be a bad mother to her baby either, something she feared.

"If you knew you didn't want to keep it then why did you string me along and act like there was still a chance?" He asked darkly. He removed his arm from around her and kept it clenched at his side. His face was a mixture of hurt, anger, and betrayal. She had deceived him yet again.

Before she could respond he was already speaking, "But that's what you do right? You toy with my emotions. You lead me on and then rip everything away. You made me feel like the biggest scumbag when you isolated me after we had sex like I did something wrong. You went on and on about Uchiha and Sai, not caring that I hated every word of it. When we were kids you kissed me and then said it meant nothing. And now you couldn't even tell me the truth about what you wanted. Did I want to hear you wanted to give out baby up, no. But it would've been better than you hiding it and letting me grow to love it." He shouted at her. He only raised is voice once, maybe twice a year at most. That's how he showed it was important. Ino was the yeller in their relationship.

He made his way to way door without another sound. His knuckles were turned pearly white as they were clenched into fists. He heard her quiet sniffling, almost a sob but not quite. He knew Ino wasn't going to cry in front of him after what he just said. She has too much pride. His hand was on the doorknob when the sound stopped. He turned around and had just the right amount of time to catch the collapsed girl.


	14. Chapter 14

The wait for the ambulance felt like agony. Ino felt like a feather in Shikamaru's arms. So limp and frail. He had an arm under the bent of her knees and the other around her back. Her light hair cascaded over his arm as he held her up. The only thing he wanted was the to see her baby blue eyes flutter open like butterfly wings. Her face was like a ghost and her body unmoving. The only thing that kept Shikamaru calm was the light beating of her heart against his own. Her mother was glaring daggers at him, something he felt was deserved. The last he did was yell at her, it made him sick to his stomach. He wasn't the type of person to raise his voice at someone, especially at one of his best friends. He always kept his cool, but he practically exploded on her. He saw the way her eyes widened during his rant. It wasn't his intention to upset her, but he knew that's exactly what he did. If she hadn't fainted then he would have been out the door trudging back to his house. He could only hope that she was alright and optimism wasn't his best trait.

"You should go home once she's in the ambulance. I hardly think it'd be appropriate for her to wake up next to you after that stunt you just pulled." Ms. Yamanaka stated through gritted teeth. Shikamaru wasn't the only person protective over Ino after all.

"I have to make sure she's okay and I will stay by her side until I do." He shot back, his arms bringing Ino closer to his body.

"I'll call your mother once she is. I don't appreciate your tone towards me or my daughter. That is why I suggest you stay away from her from now on. That's why you yelled at her right?" snapped, her voice dripping with venom. Shikamaru stayed silent this time but kept his feet firmly on the floor.

The blaring sound of the ambulance horn filled their ears. Shikamaru laid the blonde on the cot that was brought and watched her get carried into the ambulance. It made him feel like his heart was ripped out of his chest. Her mother was already climbing into the ambulance beside her passed out daughter. He didn't care about her warnings to stay away and followed after her. Despite her tense pursed lips and warning glare, stayed silent. Tension filled the ambulance as the two feuding people stared at the most important girl in both their lives. Their concern for her was the one thing they shared at that moment.

Once they had parked Shikamaru carried Ino bridal style into the hospital. He swore her face twitched for a second before wiping away. Then she was swept away by nurses into the emergency room. All he could do was wait in the lobby now. Completely helpless in his thoughts.

"I would have called you to tell you she was alright. It seems pointless for you to be here now since we are just waiting around." Her mother sighed from her seat two chairs down from him. Her voice heavy with annoyance and tiredness. Like she had told him this twenty times before.

"I have to be here for her." He responded in his usual monotone. His eyes focused on the door he prayed she would walk out of.

"_Why_? Why do you have to be here for her when you just yelled at her for screwing with you? What on earth is so important-," She spat back, her voice raising an octave at the boy. She was interrupted by something she would have never thought he would say, "Because I'm in love with her."

He always thought love was something he never wanted. The idea of loving someone was so much work to him. It would be tiring and troublesome, at least that's what his dad told him. Yet his dad was more or less happily married for over ten years, so Shikamaru wasn't sure how accurate his advice was.

Ino was exactly the type of girl Shikamaru didn't want to love. She was practically the reincarnation of his mother. She was loud, aggressive, and bossy. Yet he couldn't imagine his life without her. Before he thought that meant as a friend, but his mind changed. He wanted her beside him whispering sweet nothings in his ear, her fingers laced through his, and for her to show him her radiant smile.

Her mother said nothing beside him leaving them in complete silence. He twiddled his thumbs in boredom. His patience was growing thin. His heart elated when the door opened, and sank when it was just the doctor.

"She collapsed due to fatigue, everything else is fine. She might still be out for an hour or so. We will need keep her overnight today for observations then I suggest giving her at least another day of bed rest at home after that." The doctor explained. He had such a matter of fact tone that made Shikamaru force his scowl away. He hated how doctors could be so calm especially when they were talking about their patients. He was brushing Ino off as if she was bug.

"What did you check?" He asked. He didn't care if he said she was fine, she was still unconscious. She was carrying his baby and if something was wrong with either of them he needed to know. How did he know the doctors even knew she was pregnant? He had to know if exhaustion was the only reason she collapsed. What if there were complications with the baby that went unnoticed?

"We checked for head trauma, if the blood pressure was normal, insufficient heart rate, and poor circulation. But there were no issues in any of those areas. She could've fainted from other mental causes such as stress however. I was going to ask you about her current situation and stress levels." He answered as he sat in the opposite Shikamaru. His eyes grazed over him and then to her mother.

"She has been under a lot of stress lately." Her mother muttered, her fingers rubbing her temples. She cursed at herself not paying attention to Ino.

"That must have contributed to her collapse as well then." The doctor said and scribbled something onto his clipboard. Without another word he got up and made his way to the door.

"That's all you're going to ask?" Shikamaru snapped as he rose out of his chair. He knew he was losing his cool, something that wouldn't be good for anyone. He was cool as a cucumber ninety-ninety percent of the time, so it took a lot to lose it.

"I already identified the issue so I don't need anymore answers." The doctor replied. Shikamaru hated how pompous his voice was. He couldn't belive this man was Ino's doctor.

"She's _pregnant, _did you know that? There's got to be some protocol for that." Shikamaru argued back at the doctor. He was now in front of the doctor, who was getting under his skin.

The doctor didn't seem to notice the proximity and scribbled another note on his clipboard. "I'll make an appointment for an ultrasound to see if everything is alright. Now if you'll excuse me I have other patients to attend to." He sighed and made another note on his clipboard. The sound of the pen across the clipboard was like nails on a chalkboard to Shikamaru. He hated how aloof he was being.

"They'll have to wait because you're not done with mine yet." He stated, his eyes in a deep glare. His arms crossed firmly over his chest. His usual monotone replaced with an aggressive tone his father would've been proud of.

"I understand that you're worried about her, but she's fine. She's not my only patient." The doctor replied and scanned his clipboard for his next appointment. Shikamaru's last straw snapped. He snatched the clipboard out of the doctor's hands and launched it across the room. His finger stabbed into the other man's chest.

"She _is_ you're only patient. And if she isn't _fine_ like you say she is, then your clipboard won't be the only thing slammed against the wall." Shikamaru hissed through gritted teeth. His usual frown in a full scowl. His eyebrows knit together in fury. The doctor nodded before stumbling back into the observation rooms, Shikamaru smirked in triumph.

* * *

The room was so blindingly white that Ino had to snap her eyes shut as soon as he opened them. She heard a soft laugh next to, so she reluctantly opened then again. A nurse was beside her, Ino recognized she was in a hospital room. Her head ached as her blue eyes adjusted to the room around.

"Your boyfriend caused quite a scene I heard. Security had to restrain him in the waiting room." The nurse told her, explaining the laughter. Ino's eyes widened, the Shikamaru she knew didn't cause scenes. He tried to avoid them at all costs.

"Why?" Ino asked curiously.

"Apparently he didn't think your doctor was doing a good job. He was worried about you and your baby so he demanded the doctor do more tests on you, which he said he would do later. Your boyfriend then threw his clipboard across the room and made him prepare an ultrasound for you." The nurse explained, her lips curled in a smile of enjoyment.

"Which I'm supposed to take you to." She added and got up from her bedside seat. Ino rose slowly from her bed, as she was still a bit lightheaded. Ino allowed the woman to lead her to the correct room. Ino had already done an ultrasound so she knew the procedure.

"You know I wish I had a guy like yours back in high school." The nurse said to Ino before she left the room. Ino didn't know what she was talking about. Shikamaru had yelled at her for being heartless just before she fainted. Still she could tell where it was coming from, and it wasn't completely uncalled for. Even though Ino didn't want to admit it. She did appreciate his habitual protectiveness over her, as long as it never got possessive. She knew he cared for her, so why did he say those things? She made a mental note to ask him later.

Once the ultrasound was over the sonographer told her the baby was perfectly healthy still. Ino sighed in relief before returning to her hospital room. Her mother was already there.

"How's the baby?" She asked. She motioned for Ino to sit beside her. Ino complied with the order.

"Fine. Shikamaru really didn't need to worry about me that much." Ino answered with a light sigh.

"Of course he did, he was scared that something happened to you or your baby. You should've seen him though. He's usually so calm but he lost it at the doc. I don't think I've ever seen him so angry before. Anyone could tell he cares about you like crazy." Her mom objected with a knowing smile. She was irritated by Shikamaru just an hour before, but he changed her mind.

"Then why did he say all those things huh?" Ino scoffed. Her light eyes filled with accusation.

"Because he's a teenage boy. He got scared about his feelings for you." Her mom shrugged like it was a common fact. "Besides I don't think he would've threatened to slam a doctor into a wall if he actually meant what he said to you."

* * *

Shikamaru sat impatiently in the waiting room. A guard on either side boxed him in his seat. Their hands digging into his shoulders. He supposed it was better than the alternative of handcuffing him to the chair. Ino's mother had offered him a sympathetic glance before she went to see Ino. He had to stay with the guards in the waiting room until Ino requested him to visit her. All he wanted was to see his Ino happy and healthy. He also decided he was going to be a better boyfriend to her. He didn't realize how miserable she was becoming over their baby. And he kept pushing her to keep it. She faked a smile around him, something that used to never get past him. He knew her like the back of his hand, how was he so blind?

"Ino wants to see you." Her mother said as she walked into the waiting room. Shikamaru wasted no time freeing himself and going to Ino's room. She was waiting for him on her bed, one leg crossed over the other elegantly. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the floor in guilt.

"So how are you feeling?" He asked her. He didn't trust the doctor's opinion on how she was. He needed her to tell him.

"Better than I was feeling earlier." She replied and scooted over for him to sit next to her. He did so and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I didn't know what I was thinking." He apologized, refusing to make eye contact. Ino tilted her head up to kiss him on the cheek.

"I know." She replied with a smile. Her baby blue eyes finally twinkling again. She entwined her fingers with his and gave it a light squeeze.

"I wish I could've seen you go off on that doctor." She smirked at the brunette boy. Ino was definitely pissed that she missed the comfrontation.

"He deserved it. I wasn't going to wait any longer to see if you and my baby were okay. I would've punched the guy, but then I probably wouldn't have been able to see you." Shikamaru replied with his usual tired tone.

"You know throwing a punch or two would've been really hot. I mean standing up for me and chucking a clipboard across a room is hot as it is, but you could've taken it to the next level with a punch." Ino teased and fanned her face with her hand. She added a wink for extra measure. Her light eyes had a devilish glint in them as she looked at the boy beside her.

"So I'm not hot enough for you now?" He mumbled just loud enough for her to hear. His dark eyes rolled at the blonde. Ino tapped her chin with her finger in mock consideration. This was Shikamaru's moment to think of a plan to confess his love to her. He refused to do anything cheesy or sappy. He wanted her to realize he wasn't joking either. He felt a sweat break out on the nape of his neck. He thought about pulling an Ino and just blurting the three words out.

"Hey Ino," he started, effectively grabbing Ino's attention. Her eyebrows rose at him and she turned to face him completely. She felt his hand shake as it held hers pressed onto the crisp sheets.

"I'm going to say this once so listen carefully okay," he continued. He was rubbing the back of his neck, which was radiating heat from its blush. He still didn't know how the words were going to come out of his mouth. Ino's face was only inches away from his own. It was so radiant and fresh against the stark white backdrop. Shikamaru noticed a stray strand of hair on her face and brushed it behind her ear.

He inhaled deeply before letting out, "I'm in love with you. And all I want now is for you to be happy and if you're not then tell me why so I can help you," he finished. Without waiting for her reply, he swooped in to kiss her. He was going to savor it like it was the last kiss they would share. He loved the way her mouth fit his perfectly. He wanted to keep it sweet this time, not steamy like they usually got. He wanted this to be the perfect way to solidify his feelings to her. He wanted her to know he was sincere.

When he pulled back she was smiling back at him. "I love you too."


	15. Chapter 15

Shikamaru's greatest hatred was high school. Anything that forced effort upon him was evil in his eyes. He hated his idiot classmates and his bland teachers. Work and tests were forced on him. He possessed the highest absence rate in the entire high school. The word delinquent was used by teachers and students alike to describe him. He wanted to runaway as soon as he stepped inside the educational hell. Shikamaru didn't find appeal in having hundreds of friends, but he wouldn't have minded having a few more than the handful of oddballs he was stuck with. He was thankful for having only one troublesome girl as a friend, and Ino had that department covered to the bone. She was a handful to have around, but she was loved anyway. Kiba and Naruto were brash hotheads that were annoying as hell to be around. Still he had to grudgingly admit he liked their company. Choji was the only friend that didn't make his ears bleed. When Ino slipped away from them Choji was always there. He took the role of the pestering best friend in Ino's steed. Shikamaru knew Choji had his back even when cowardliness crept up on him. He appreciated when Choji comforted Ino when Shikamaru didn't know how. Everyone else was intolerable. Some were much worse than others.

Now he waited outside his first period class while tuning out Naruto's loudmouth. He shared this period with Ino, who was instructed to take the day off to rest. He blamed himself for her collapse. He always took blame for everything he was involved in, something Ino wished he didn't. The doctor, who he had come to despise, said it was due to fatigue and high stress. He knew he brought the stress on her. He pressed being parents on her and made her question everything. She must've been exhausted from carrying his baby. He was sure there was more he could've done to support her. But she insisted she could handle herself and didn't want him to sacrifice his lifestyle for her sake. She made up her mind about that and was too stubborn to change it. He figured she didn't need him to be by her side constantly.

Ebony hair blocked his vision. Shikamaru recognized it as Sai. Did he feel guilty about sleeping with the guy's girl? Somewhat. Sai never actually did anything that made him hated. He seemed nice enough maybe a bit passive aggressive, but normal enough. He pretended to like him for Ino's own happiness. He tried to sway her mind, but her concrete mind refused to listen. After that he kept an eye out for Ino, but found nothing wrong with Sai. This pissed Shikamaru off more than liked to admit. Still Ino was happy with him, so Shikamaru accepted them as a couple. It was the definition of bittersweet. He wanted her to be happy, but not without him.

"Can I ask you a question Shikamaru?" Sai questioned. Shikamaru didn't notice Sai was staring at him. Shikamaru took a step back cautiously. "Sure." He answered with his usual monotone especially thick.

"Did something happen between you and Ino while we were together?" Sai questioned, his emotionless voice present. Shikamaru did have to admit the guy was smart. Shikamaru knew Ino would have his head on a stick if he revealed their secret.

"No." He denied, he figured keeping his lie simple was the best option. There was no point in fabricating a complete lie if it was unneeded. He figured Sai wouldn't push the issue.

"I figured as much. I just thought it was strange that she went from ignoring you to going on what seemed like a date with you, then choosing to sit with you over me, and then she breaking up with me shortly after because she was in love with someone else." Sai replied, accusation filling his tone. Shikamaru hated to admit it was a fair assumption. He didn't want to get beaten to a pulp by Ino, so he had to use his genius brain to think of a comeback.

"You wouldn't happen to know who the lucky man is?" Sai continued before Shikamaru could answer. Sai's blank stare focused on Shikamaru. Shikamaru was the master of keeping his emotions hidden, but Sai was close on his heels.

"No." Shikamaru answered plainly. Their dark eyes locked in a tense stare off. Both wanting the other to break. The school bell rang, but both boys remained unfazed.

"Then I'll keep looking for _him_." Sai finally said and sulked into the class. Shikamaru forced his legs to follow.

* * *

Ino hated not being able to move around. Her legs ached from being restricted to laying in her bed. The soft cotton blanket engulfed her with warmth, too much warmth. Praying she wouldn't make a sound she slid a foot of the bed. The cool, smooth floor met her foot happily. It felt so satisfying. Ino then realized her mother wasn't even home to monitor her. She felt stupid for actually allowing herself to do nothing.

Bed rest left her with nothing to do but sleep and think. Her mind kept wandering back to how her peers would scorn her once the secret was out. It made her sick, or maybe it was the constant nausea she lugged around with her. What was the beauty of motherhood because Ino had no clue.

She was thankful she and Shikamaru had finally agreed on what to do about their baby. It was being put up for adoption. It would have a better life that way. It would have loving parents that would shower it with everything they couldn't. Shikamaru wouldn't have to throw his life away to be a father like Ino feared.

Ino decided to fill her empty stomach and went down her stairs. The doorbell rang as if on que as soon as she made it onto the ground floor. Her eyebrows rose in suspicion as her feet brought her to the door. She was expecting a mailman with the usual bills, not her ex boyfriend. The pale dark haired boy stood in her doorway clad in his school uniform. Ino didn't need to look at the time to knew school wasn't over yet. Her suspicions rose but still allowed him into her house.

"What are you doing here, school isn't over yet." Ino asked as she shut the door. She felt self conscious with her sloppy blonde mess of hair and skimpy pajamas.

"It's lunch break and there is something I need from you." He responded, his voice sending chills down Ino's spine. It was so dark and cold like a winter night. The words drawled together in a nonchalant threat.

"What?" Ino asked as she furthered her distance from him. Her voice remained steady despite the nerves creeping in her stomach. Her back collided with the wall behind her, and she cursed under her breath.

"Just an answer, did you cheat on me with Shikamaru?" Sai questioned, he took two long strides and was in front on her. He towered over the petite blonde, they both were aware of that fact.

Ino wasn't that great of a liar. She lied to Shikamaru for seven weeks, but he never questioned it so she didn't have to force a lie on him. Thinking on the spot wasn't a specialty of hers. The way his eyes were looming over her made her mind even more flustered. She couldn't tell him the truth about the baby. Subconsciously her hand moved to her stomach and rested over the baby. Sai noticed this movement and focused on it with furrowed brows. It was the answer he needed.

"Leave me alone Sai." Ino ordered, her voice spiked with aggressiveness. Her pale blue eyes darkened at the man in front of her.

"You're a cruel girl. Breaking up with me is one thing. Sleeping with another guy while we were dating and hiding it from me for who knows how long is another. You kept stringing me along like a homeless puppy." Sai hissed in her ear. The sound terrified her. Sai was usually cold and emotionless, his voice wasn't threatening at all.

"I'm so sorry." She began. She could tell he wasn't buying it for a second.

"How long did you lie to me for?" Sai demanded, his hand slamming against the wall right above her head. Ino found herself paralyzed against the wall. She cursed that her aggressive side wasn't showing up to save her.

"When I broke up with you it had been around seven or eight weeks." She answered bitterly. She could see the betrayal in his eyes as he looked down at her. His face was in a deep scowl, his hands were clenched so tightly Ino could see the veins popping out.

His arm fell from the all much to Ino's relief. That relief was snapped when Sai brought his arms around her and trapped her against his chest. She didn't have time to scream at him before his lips crashed onto hers. Her struggles were in vain against his iron grip. She refused to kiss back, but that didn't stop him from forcing their lips to meet. He was like a savage, a side Ino had never seen before from anyone. Her protests were muffled his mouth battling hers. Panic rushed through all her veins as she begged her mind to think of a way to break free before it was too late.

He stopped. She was free from his grasp at last. She rushed to the other side of the room, away from him. She brought her hands around her shaking body and scanned the area for something heavy to hurl at him. He didn't follow and instead moved to the door.

"What the hell was that!" Ino screeched at him and chucked a paperweight at him, it was the nearest object. It slammed into his shoulder but he remained indifferent.

"I think it's called payback. Shikamaru kissed you while we were dating and now I kissed you once the tables were turned." Sai shrugged, snarky amusement was plastered on his face. His smirk was devilish, unlike Shikamaru's signature one.

"I hope it was worth it because you're going to be in for it when I tell him." Ino snapped at him, her fingers itching for something else to throw.

"But that's the thing, you _won't_ tell him unless you want me to leak your little scandal. I know how good you are at keeping secrets." Sai declared, his voice was sinister. His face twisted in pleasure of making her miserable.

Ino froze at the words. It was a perfect plan, genius really. There was no way she was going to let the cat out of the bag yet. But the guilt of hiding the incident from Shikamaru would be devastating. What else could Sai do to her? He had this sword over her head now.

"Why are you doing this?" She cried out. Just when everything was going right Sai swooped in and ruined everything.

"Well you lied to me, I think Shikamaru should know how it feels. Besides with him out of the way and this new piece of information I can do whatever I want with you. And trust me I'll have lots of fun with you." Sai snickered.


	16. Chapter 16

Ino felt humiliated and disgusted with her current situation. Sai's blackmail had been going on for a week. She had to give in to his every command, now matter how degrading they were. It had started with taking her phone away and she still hasn't got it back. She didn't want to think about what he was doing with it. She told her friends she had misplaced it. She became his artistic muse and posed in ways that varied from comedic to uncomfortable. After each drawing was done he tore it up to her relief. He made her walk with him to school in the morning. Sai alternated between sneaking his arm around her waist and crushing her hand in his own. She usually did so with Shikamaru so she had to lie and say she had to go in early as an excuse. That was the first of many lies she had to tell him. Sai forced her to reject dates and gave her flimsy excuses to say. Ino hated to betray him like this, she had already lied to him enough. Then there were several kisses he had forced on her. He always found somewhere isolated to to pull her into; empty classrooms, janitor closets, corners of the courtyard, etc. Ino found it bizarre that kiss her was all he did, he didn't touch or grope her like she figured he would. He didn't even make her kiss him back, so she didn't. She was thankful for that just confused. What kind of pleasure did it bring him? It was still repulsing to think about.

"I wonder how much poor Shikamaru misses you right now?" Sai taunted in her ear as he held Ino's wrists behind her back. Ino despised his new torment of taunting her with guilt over her obsessive lying. She was in his empty house, a fact that made her stomach drop. His hands were like icy chains around her already throbbing wrists. She wanted to kick him with all the force her body supplies her. But she couldn't unless she wanted her secret out. She had endured so much already, she wasn't going to give up yet. She supposed there were much worse things he could do to her as well so she kept her complaining to a minimum.

"I must be a pretty lucky guy to be able to kiss a damsel like you. It's not like you could call your prince to save you. And it's really a shame because I know how much he loves you and would do _anything_ to protect you." Sai sneered. He was using a side of him that he didn't realize he had. He never thought himself to be the vengeful type. He wanted to hurt Ino and Shikamaru like they hurt him. If Ino had broken up with him because she didn't have feelings for him and that was it, Sai wouldn't have been angry. Even if it was just a kiss between the two Sai would've been angry, but wouldn't have wanted to get revenge. No, it was the fact they lied to him for seven weeks about doing the worst thing a cheater could do.

"Isn't it great that he has so much trust in you. I mean trust is such a crucial part in a relationship." He continued. Ino didn't have to look at him to know he was smirking. She yearned to tell Shikamaru, but their secret was too large. She was also afraid of what else Sai might say, lie or not. She had to protect both herself and Shikamaru.

"He's going to kick your ass once this is all over. And I'll throw in my fair share of punches too." Ino snapped at him. Her pearly white teeth were gritted.

"That's why I'm getting all the pleasure I can out of you. I have to make getting slugged in the face worth it. But of course I'll get a few hits on him too. I don't want to hurt just you after all." Sai replied with a snort. That made Ino's blood boil. She was already taking the brunt of Sai's vengeance, there was no way Shikamaru was going to get dragged into this.

"If you touch him I will snap you in half!" Ino warned.

"You're very protective." He chuckled

"You're very sadistic." She spat. She wasn't going to forfeit her fiery personality to him. Sai gave her wrists a sharp squeeze before releasing them. Ino sighed in relief at her freedom. She inspected her swollen wrists and winced. The weather was too hot to wear long sleeves to cover them.

"That's a bit harsh don't you think?" Sai asked and rolled his eyes. Her cheeks puffed at him in frustration. His dark eyes shone with boredom at the girl.

"You've never had your heart broken before have you?" Sai questioned with a small hollow laugh.

"Don't pull the pity card you and I both know we weren't in love." Ino scoffed with an exasperated sigh. When she looked back at their relationship it made her agitated. She enjoyed it at the time, but it felt like a waste of time to her now. There wasn't love there.

"_You_ didn't love me, but strangely enough I loved you. You know better than anyone that I wasn't the best at showing my emotions. And because I loved you, I gave you my heart which you promptly shattered. I want you and Shikamaru to feel just an ounce of the hurt you caused me." Sai confessed. He let his cold guard down just long enough to get the words out and then rose it again.

"I told you to leave him out of this." Ino snapped, fists clenched at her sides. Her blue eyes blazed like sapphires. He had protected on more occasions than she could count on her hand, it was time she returned the favor.

"I've already brought him in. By hurting you I'm hurting him. _You're his weakness._" Sai smirked at her, his icy shell returned. Ino didn't want to be a weakness, she wanted to be his strength. Guilt stabbed at her heart.

"You're done for the day, go home." dismissed Sai as he sat back on his sofa. Ino shot him one of her infamous glares before hurrying out into the street. Ino loved that summer was approaching and there was only a week of school left until break. Shikamaru was counting the days naturally. Ino just had to endure one more week of Sai's torture. Then she could stop lying and finally tell the truth. Ino felt like every word that came out of her mouth was a lie nowadays. The guilt felt like a mountain on her shoulders. The worst part was Shikamaru trusted her completely and was accepting her lies unconditionally. She wanted to tell Shikamaru, but was beginning to think it might not be such a good idea. Ino knew how protective Shikamaru got over his friends, especially of her. She heard about how he flipped at the doctor for attending to other patients, how would he get if he knew all the things Sai did to her? She didn't need him to be her white knight, so what was the point? If Ino just stopped doing Sai's commands once school was over it wouldn't matter if Shikamaru knew about it or not.

Ino kept walking as she contemplated the thought. Ino felt her body collide with something hard and stumbled backwards. She didn't have to worry about losing her balance as the figure had already brought an arm around her waist for support. Her pineapple head boyfriend who she knocked into.

"Sorry about that Shikamaru." She laughed nervously and regained her stable stance. Her hands flew behind her back to hide the bruises from him.

"Klutz." He chuckled. Ino felt a pang of guilt on her heart as he smiled at her.

"You know I've had to keep canceling our dates, but I'm free right now if you want to do something." Ino suggested. She had yearned to see him, but Sai always found a way to crush their plans. She really hated this hidden side of him.

"We could get a movie," he started.

"And not watch it." She finished for him. Her eyes twinkled with naughtiness. Shikamaru smirked as usual at the idea in agreement. Ino returned the smirk and began walking towards his house since it was closer. That's when she realized she was in front of him, giving him perfect view of her mangled wrists. She threw them in front of her, but he had already seen them. He moved closer and gently lifted one of her hands up to inspect the wrist. His frown deepened.

"Who did this?" He questioned, his voice low and serious. Ino averted her eyes quickly to think of a lie. Each lie tasted like poison in her mouth.

"Just this weirdo on the street. But don't worry I gave him a good kick where it hurt." Ino answered in her usual upbeat tone. She needed it to sell the lie. Shikamaru's frown still remained but his eyebrows lightened their furrow.

"He didn't hurt you anywhere else?" He asked cautiously. Ino wanted to yell at him that Sai hurt her everywhere, but bit her tongue. He prepared himself for the worst case scenario, but was relieved when she shook her head. He inhaled sharply and exhaled before saying, "At least your alright."

Shikamaru then brought his arm around her, he knew she loved it when he did that. Actually he knew she liked when he gave any sign of affection and with a girlfriend like Ino it wasn't hard to shower her with it. He looked down at her and was pleased to see her widened smile.

Shikamaru gave bored one syllable words as he listened to her talk nonstop on the way to his house. He loved her and all, but there were times he wanted a mute button on her. He nodded to her girlish whines about her friends or her mother. He had already mastered tuning her out when needed.

They entered his house and immediately migrated to his bedroom. Ino couldn't help but shriek as Shikamaru lifted her off the floor and onto his bed. He moved on top of the blonde. Then he was kissing her, his kisses were so different than Sai's. His were soft but used enough pressure to keep her interested. Sai's were harsh like a dog's. Ino felt like she could melt in Shikamaru's while she felt stiff as a rock when Sai brought his lips on hers. Ino's eyes fluttered closed when she was kissing Shikamaru, but they were in a dark glare with Sai.

Ino felt safe with Shikamaru. Her arms moved around his neck, bringing him closer. She kissed back deepening their already passionate kiss. The light pressure on her lips suddenly felt heavier. Her blue eyes snapped open and it was Sai kissing her. Her eyes widened and fear and her lips stopped moving. She felt all the air was sucked out of her. Shikamaru's arms transformed into Sai's steel grip around her. She blinked hard and she saw Shikamaru kissing her again. He took her stop as a que to move his kisses elsewhere. He pecked at her neck and trailed down to her collarbone. Ino moaned in relief and she could tell Shikamaru was pleased with himself. Ino shook the image off Sai out of her head and let her hands graze the man on top of her. Ino's relief faded when she saw the hungry eyes of Sai crashing his lips down on her again. He was like a beast, his saliva slathered on her face. His kisses her so fast and vicious against her. She held in a cry until Shikamaru replaced Sai again. His shut eyes were clueless to Ino's panicked ones. He mistook her gasps of horror as gasps of pleasure and brought his lips back to hers. They kept alternating; light to heavy, soft to hard, loving to lusting. Ino couldn't handle it, it was too much._ "You're his weakness"_ All she could hear was Sai's voice in her ear taunting her.

"Stop!" She cried and pushed Shikamaru off her. Tears were clinging to her lashes, some falling freely on her face as she wrapped her arms around herself. Shikamaru was shocked at her force. When he got to his feet after being pushed onto the floor the sight of Ino broke him. Her knees were hugged to her chest as she laid facing away from him and he could feel her shudders. Her crying was silent. Shikamaru stared at his hands wondering what he had done. He didn't recall touching her anywhere he hadn't already. Was he too forceful on her? He moved to touch her shoulder but she scrambled off the bed and darted for the door. Shikamaru ran after her and managed to encircle her in his arms before she reached the front door.

"Let me go!" She cried and tried to wrestle out of his arms that were trying to comfort her. Her cries drowned out his apologies.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you? Did I touch you somewhere?" Shikamaru asked Ino flurry of questions. Ino struggled in his grip, crying and punching him in the chest weakly.

"Let me go! Let go of me S-" She continued pleading and was cut off by him complying with her plea. She took no time in rushing out of his door and out of sight. Shikamaru watched as her tears soaked into the crevices of his hand. He would never hurt her. Not even if someone had a knife to his throat or a gun at his back. So what had he done to her?


	17. Chapter 17

Three seconds. That was the exact amount of time Ino's eyes met Shikamaru's before she averted her gaze and hurried down the hall. Shikamaru noted it was two seconds shorter than the day before. She still wasn't speaking to him and it had been two days. It didn't seem like much time, but his constant worrying and guilt slowed down time drastically. He had given her space the day of and the next day of her freak out on him. He felt a wave of déjà vu from earlier in the year when Ino ignored him after they had sex. He hated that the little blonde could cause him so much confusion. Shikamaru was about to go against his better judgment and follow her when his arm was grabbed.

"I'll go talk to her." His large best friend stated. Shikamaru shrugged and allowed Choji to go after her. He figured she might confide in him about what was going on. He was the much better listener and comforter of the pair. His half closed eyes watched the plump boy speed walk to catch up to his blonde girlfriend.

Ino rounded the corner still refusing to turn around in case he was following her. She purposely took this route to class because she would not run into Sai or Shikamaru. She didn't stop to talk to her friends or to go to her locker. She was going straight for her class without distractions. That was until her big boned friend side stepped her and blocked her path. His cheerful demeanor that Ino knew was fake radiated off him. Still she offered him a light smile in return.

"I haven't seen you much lately." Choji greeted now walking beside her.

"I've been really busy." Ino replied. She inwardly groaned at her stupid comeback. She had been lying 24/7 and now she couldn't think of one.

"Is that why you're ignoring Shikamaru?" Choji questioned. His sympathetic face showed he was ready to listen to whatever Ino was about to say. Ino scrunched her nose at the boy. She wondered why everyone was so nosey. Lying had become her specialty to her dismay. Now she had to lie to her other best friend. Thinking on the spot was something the blonde rarely did. She liked everything to be planned out months ahead of time.

"I'm not ignoring him." Ino defended and cursed at yet another stupid lie on her part. Choji gave her an _are you serious_ look and rested his hand on her shoulder. Ino looked away. She couldn't bear to look at his innocent auburn eyes that would insist on her telling the truth.

"You'd have to promise not to tell anyone." She warned, her eyes staring sharply into his. Choji nodded and let Ino push him into the nearest empty classroom. He was still surprised at her strength even after knowing her for sixteen years.

"Especially Shikamaru, he can not know. Can you promise me that?" Ino continued with her arms crossed. Her eyebrows arched as her blue eyes insisted he answer. Choji felt nervous about agreeing. He didn't want to keep anything from his best friend, especially if it involved Ino. He wouldn't want Ino to be on trouble either.

"I promise." Said Choji. Ino smiled appreciatively. Her feet carried her in a pace around the room. How could she explain her predicament to him? She knew him well enough that he would tell Shikamaru if he thought Ino was truly in trouble. She was but refused to let Shikamaru know. She did want to tell someone about it though. The idea of hiding it was getting too much to handle on her own. Her secret was tearing her apart.

"I'm not ignoring him by choice. I'm being blackmailed by Sai." Ino started and looked cautiously at Choji. His cheerfulness was replaced by anger. Ino knew Choji only got angry when he was called fat or when either Ino or Shikamaru were in trouble. Choji's eyes still remained calm and supportive though.

"What does he have on you?" He questioned. Ino let out a groan. She muttered a curse under her breath before answering, "He knows about my pregnancy and says he'll tell the entire student body if I don't do what he tells me." Ino felt relieved after revealing the truth. It was the first time she didn't lie about it.

"What does he make you do?" Choji asked, his voice more serious than Ino had ever heard it. His eyes darkened and his usual smile was gone.

"A lot of different things, but most of them were childish and meant to waste my time to keep me away from Shikamaru." She answered vaguely. The last thing she wanted to do was tell Choji all the terrible things Sai forced on her. So she omitted those. Choji moved closer to his petite friend and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Did he touch you in _those_ places?" He asked awkwardly, he felt disgusted by even asking the question. If she didn't object then he would have to tell Shikamaru. Sai deserved to get beat up in his eyes.

"No, but he did force kisses on me." Ino grumbled in a hushed whisper. She couldn't speak it any louder because it would make her words more real. She didn't want to think about how they caused a strain on her relationship and how they overshadowed Shikamaru. She saw the guilt in his eyes when they passed in the hallway. She knew his mind was thinking of something to say to her. Ino wanted to explain that it wasn't his fault, but do to her agreement with Sai she couldn't tell him anything.

"And when Shikamaru and I were kissing I kept seeing Sai kissing me instead. It was terrifying and I didn't know what to do so I freaked out on him. I don't want him to ask me what happened because of Sai's stupid blackmail I can't. But knowing him he probably thinks it's his fault somehow and it isn't, but how can I tell him otherwise? I feel awful and sick to my stomach about it." Ino confessed. Her rushed voice filled with panic at every word. Her arms circled Choji's waist and she pushed her face into his plump chest. A few tears escaped her eyes and dropped down her nose. Her face filled with misery as she looked up at her friend hoping for guidance.

"I know you don't want to hear this but you need to tell Shikamaru. For both your sake and his. Screw Sai and his lame excuse to kiss you. I won't let him hurt yu anymore and that means telling Shikamaru. That way Shikamaru can throw the sucker punches at him. I'm a lover not a fighter after all." Choji declared as he rubbed soothing circles on the blonde's back.

Ino pulled away with a frustrated scowl. She hated to admit he was right. Normally she hated whenever anyone but herself was right, but she especially hated what Choji was correct about. With a huff she stomped out of the room. Once she was out a light smirk broke on her face.

She knew that Choji was a blabber mouth and would've told Shikamaru either way. This way she didn't actually _tell_ him, Choji did. That didn't break her agreement and she knew Shikamaru would be able to scare Sai off. A little trickery never hurt anyone after all. She was sad it was all apart of another lie. She promised herself to adopt honesty as her new policy once this all blew over. Ino wished she had thought of this plan sooner.

* * *

Choji waited until school was over to tell Shikamaru. He figured Ino would eventually forgive him for revealing her secret. They were at Shikamaru's signature hill. Choji knew it was relaxing to him so it would be a good place to reveal the truth.

"There's something I have to tell you about Ino. But she told me not to tell you so you can't freak out." Choji began. Shikamaru's head snapped up from its position on the grass. His face calm, but serious. His eyes were narrowed at his large friend, forcing him to continue.

"Sai's been blackmailing her for the past week. He knows about the pregnancy and said he would reveal it if she didn't do whatever he said." Choji continued warily. Shikamaru's face hardened and the only movement was a single blink.

"What is he doing to her?" Shikamaru snapped. His monotone disappeared and Choji could hear the hints of anger in his voice. Choji expected this and planted a hand on his friend's shoulder to keep him grounded.

"She said for the most part just stupid stuff to take up her time with you. You knew childish things." Choji answered in his best reassuring voice. Shikamaru wasn't satisfied and his eyes pushed for another answer. Choji sighed before opening his mouth to speak, "He kissed her, more than once."

Shikamaru looked at him for a few long seconds, like he was thinking of a response or trying to comprehend what was just said. His genius mind never took more than a millisecond to understand what Choji told him. The other seconds were used thinking of two hundred moves to pummel Sai. He knew he would only use a fraction of them however. He wasn't the type to get into a full on fight, that was too troublesome. He decided he would throw enough punches to make sure Sai never came within fifteen feet of Ino. Nothing more and nothing less. He stood up sharply and marched his way to Ino's house. Choji followed closely behind.

"You can't let Sai know Ino had anything to do with you finding out. That was the main part of their deal." Choji explained, glad he remembered that fact. They were front of her house now. He watched in awe at how calmly Shikamaru was as he knocked on the door. Choji was glad he didn't lose his cool even when he just found out about Sai's blackmail. Choji knew he would've been enraged if he was Shikamaru's shoes.

Ino answered the door and her blue eyes widened when she saw who it was. Then they softened and her mouth formed a smirk.

"You're late." She nagged in a hushed whisper. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and flicked her forehead. "Well you're about a week late." He groaned while returning the smirk. He brushed past Ino to see Sai lounged on her couch. His already pale face blanched at Shikamaru's dark glare. Sai's eyes darted between Ino and Shikamaru. Ino faked an innocent shrug at him to keep up the ruse.

"We had a deal Ino, you couldn't tell him." Said Sai. His midnight eyes stared into her sky blue eyes.

"Tell me what? I was just coming to visit my girlfriend." Shikamaru said and crossed his arms. Ino and Choji shared a knowing look with each other. Sai rose from his seat and shifted uncomfortably under Shikamaru's gaze. Ino forced a smirk off her face and replaced it with a blank expression.

"Nothing you need to know." Sai shrugged and moved towards the doorway. Shikamaru stuck an arm out to block his path. His eyes were half lidded and annoyed. Sai sighed and cursed under his breath.

"Just get it over with, I know you want to punch me." Sai surrendered and backed away. He braced himself for the impact of his fist. Shikamaru purposely waited a few seconds to make the shock more surprising. He raised his arm and his fist connected with Sai's face, sending him stumbling backwards. The sound was explosive. Ino gasped in both surprise and delight. Sai took it in stride and straightened his stance. Another punch slammed into him. He stance broke and he fell to the floor. Sai brushed himself off and stood up again. Pain coated him but he didn't let it show. Shikamaru lifted his back up by the collar of his shirt. Sai's face remained emotionless as he accepted what was coming to him.

"Stay away from her." He demanded through gritted teeth. With that he set Sai on his feet and shoved him towards the wall. Shikamaru pressed his arm against Sai's neck. Ino and Choji both stared at the sight.

"I know I may have crossed the line-" Sai started and was interrupted by Ino's loud cough and glare. Sai rolled his eyes at her. "So I did cross the line with Ino, but I'm sorry now. If she hadn't insisted on protecting you I wouldn't have been so aggressive." Sai apologized bitterly. Ino sniffed from her spot in the room. Shikamaru released Sai and moved out of his path to the door. Ino quickly stuck her foot out to trip the dark haired boy.

"You didn't think I'd let Shikamaru do all my dirty work." She smirked and her blue eyes blazed with mischief. Shikamaru held her waist to keep her from harassing Sai further. Sai hastily made his way out of the house without turning back.

"Well I'm going to leave you two lovebirds alone now. You have two days worth of couple time to make up for." Choji said as he excused himself from Ino's house as well. Ino turned to face Shikamaru with an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry for lying and ignoring you _again_. I just wanted to protect you for once and not the other way around." Ino apologized and reached for both his hands and held them in her own.

"Don't worry about it. I would've done the same thing if the roles were reversed." Shikamaru replied and brought her hands closer, pulling her close to him. There was nothing he wanted more than to go back in time and take her place. The idea of Sai hurting her in any way made his heart feel like it was being squeezed.

"And if they were reversed I would've done a whole lot more damage then two punches." Ino added with a playful smirk. Shikamaru yawned and brought Ino onto the couch behind them. He moved his arms around her and tucked her perfectly into his shoulder. Ino beamed at his little show of affection.

"I'm sure you would've. Those two punches took a lot of effort I'll have you know. But if he even tries to come near you I'll do more damage to him." Shikamaru said as his head drooped onto hers. Ino rolled her eyes softly at her constantly tired boyfriend.

"I'll let you fall asleep on me just this one time because I know dealing with Sai must've been troublesome and you did it anyway." Ino sighed and smiled knowingly at her already half asleep boyfriend. He murmured a thank you in a sleepy drawl. She realized that she would be stuck in his arms until he would wake up which Ino knew could be hours away. Ino wondered is he spoke in his sleep or if he snored. Ino shifted slightly to see how he would react and was met with a a faint growl and tightened arms. She smiled contently at his protectiveness, even when he was asleep.

"I love you." He muttered delicately. Ino looked up at him and saw his slumbering face. Guess he did sleep talk after all.

"Love you too." She whispered back and craned her neck to peck his lips. Even the lightest brush of her lips on his brought a whisp of a smile on his sound asleep face.

"You better be dreaming about me Nara."


	18. Chapter 18

Ino had no idea why the second trimester was called "the golden period", she hardly considered it a blessing. It was week sixteen, two weeks after the second trimester began. Her belly now protruded, not too much but still noticeable. Her mother had bought her the dreaded maturnity clothes. Dreaded was not an overstatement for Ino Yamananka. She would rather be caught dead than seen wearing those elastic-waisted rip off yoga pants. That's why she secluded herself inside her home. She had a TV for reality television and enough magazines to last months at her disposal. There was no need for her to be seen in her pregnant state, so she refused to leave her house for any reason.

Due to the growing baby bump Ino felt her back aching from the shift in Gravity. New weight was focused on her front and pulled her down. Standing straight was practically torture. How was this golden? Her whining only increased and reminded her mother of when Ino was her bratty six year old self.

She did admit that the nausea and fatigue had decreased to an extent. She still got morning sickness, but never after that. Still waking up to only vomit was troublesome as hell. Her sleeping patterns were passable at best. She got more hours of it than she had during the first trimester. Getting the eight hours she was suppose to was something she could only laugh at. At times she got to six hours and that was good enough for the frustrated blonde.

The summer heat wasn't helping her mood either. It was just another thing for her to throw her sass on. Finding maternity clothes for summer was miserable. None of them looked halfway decent. The shorts and tops were too long and the stretchy material clung to her body.

"I want chocolate ice cream." She declared with a whiny drawl. Her blue eyes peered at the dark haired boy who she was laying on. His lazy eyes inspected her pleading face with a frown. He already knew that meant for him to get some for her.

"Then go get some." Shikamaru replied. Just because that's what it me at didn't mean he was going to do it. The summer heat brought out his true laziness and inability to do simple tasks.

"I'm pregnant." She pouted bluntly. It had become her go-to excuse when she wanted something. Her lips were pursed together in a pout as her eyes fluttered. She knew he was putty in her hands when she that.

"_So_?" He asked in his signature monotone. He was comfortable in his position on the sofa. His legs were settled on the small table in front of him and his arms were tucked behind his head. He didn't even mind the pressure of Ino's head on his lap like he usually did. His carefree nature was definitely highlighted on the days of summer. He didn't have to do anything so he could sit back and relax for days.

"So that means I have another person living inside me and it's your fault!" Ino huffed and poked his chest. Shikamaru could tell he want going to win and letting her boss him around would be better than having to listen to her whine for hours. With a deep groan he forced himself out of his comfortable spot. He shot a lighthearted glare at the primadona who stole his laziness. A smug look was on her face.

Ino sat up cheerfully when he returned with a tub of chocolate ice cream and a spoon. He didn't bother putting it in a bowl anymore since she would always complain he gave her too much or too little.

"Thank you Shika." She thanked brightly and accepted the ice cream she forced him to bring. Her smile could've beaten the Chesire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. Shikamaru liked her better smiling than whining, so he let her boss him around more than usual. Ino was already shoveling the treat into her smile by the time he returned to his comfortable position. He earned himself a punch in the arm after he snickered at her.

Ino hummed happily as she set the tub down on the table and wiped the chocolate from the corners of her lips. Another thing she hated about being pregnant was the sudden cravings of random foods. She liked the satisfaction once they passed however.

"You have to put it back or else it will melt." She ordered and crossed her arms.

"What a drag." Shikamaru groaned tiredly and brought the ice cream to the refrigerator _again_. Then he sat back down _again_ and hoped she wouldn't make him get back up _again_. He knew her all too well and was positive she would find another reason for him. That was unless he kept her occupied which was getting harder by the day. He knew Ino despised being stuck inside her house due to her pride. She would never let anyone else in the prestigious village know she was pregnant. She wanted to spend time around the village and hang out with friends more than watch reruns on TV.

"I'm bored." She huffed. Her brows furrowed in frustration. Shikamaru looked over at her with a smirk. About time she admitted it he thought.

"And what do you want to do about it?" Shikamaru questioned in return. Ino placed a finger on her chin in concentration. She hoped his genius mind would've come up with something romantic to do. Then she remembered his lack of romantic traits and sighed. Her mind looked back on the wide arsenal of romance movies she had watched. She wasn't sure as to how much she could push him to do. Maybe she could convince him to the Spider-Man kiss. She had watched the movie at least a dozen times as a sort of hint to him. He was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them so she knew he must've understood her by now. He was opting to ignore her unspoken request. He would hate having to hang upside down also, too troublesome.

Maybe just watching a marathon of them with him would be enough. He would mutter his sarcastic commentary about how stupid they were in his eyes. Then she would shush him and he'd smirk. She'd complain that they weren't as romantic as the couples in the movies. He'd retort back with saying they wee unrealistic. When she pushed the issue he'd kiss her to shut her up. Then the process would start over.

With horror Ino realized they were in a rut. Ino sighed unhappily at the thought. It's was a happy one, but still a rut. It has become simple and problematic. She preferred it to the drama filled one they had just endured. Their relationship had become carefree, but bland. Ino was positive Shikamaru was enjoying their carefree relationship. She liked it too, but she needed something to spice it up. She didn't want to mention it because it was much easier to handle than when drama was around every corner. She promised herself to stay clear of crisises against her magnetism to drama. It was the least she could do after all she had put Shikamaru through.

"I don't know, we could watch a movie." Ino suggested with a defeated sigh. She was going to ruin their tranquility, she had no idea how long it would last.

"Fine just not Spider-Man again. I'm not doing that kiss scene no matter how many times you make me watch it." Shikamaru yawned. Her obviousness was like a baseball bat at times. He smirked when he saw Ino's guilty grin.

"But it'd be romantic." She whined brought herself closer to him.

"Why is me being upside down more romantic then me being upright. Plus if you really wanted to do the full kiss we'd be out in the rain catching colds. How is that romantic?" He inquired at the blonde. Ino paused for a few seconds to think of a compact. Shikamaru chuckled under his breath at her hesitation.

"Everyone knows a kiss in the rain is ten times more romantic than a normal kiss." She stated in a matter of fact tone. She raised an eyebrow, now waiting for his comeback.

"Movies are glamorized. Runny noses and fevers are not." Shikamaru shot back without a second of thought. Ino glared at his effortless brain.

"Why are you such an anti-romantic?" She snapped with her lips in a full pout. Her pale face was flushed. She curled her hands into small fists against her chest. Shikamaru smirked at her flustered state that he secretly adored. He knew exactly which buttons to push when it came to Ino.

"Because it's troublesome." He shrugged. Ino's face fell ever so slightly. He noticed, he always noticed. "But I wouldn't have it any other way." He added.

"Nice save." Ino smirked. She raised her arm and patted the top of his head. He shot her a warning glance in return. Her face showcased her smug delight as she continued to ruffle his hair, ruining its smoothness.

A sharp pain caused her to stop abruptly. Her hands instinctively went to her belly where the pain came from. She registered it as a kick, her baby's first flutter. Shikamaru's head whipped towards her after her cry of pain.

"What happened?!" He asked feverishly, not even trying to hide the concern in his voice. The pain had already subsided to Ino's relief.

"Our little bastard baby kicked me!" Ino barked and glared at her baby bump.

"Don't call it that. You know studies show you're supposed to give it comforting words in its fetal form. Helps stimulate the mind." He scolded and placed both his hands on her stomach. Ino shot him a quizzical look.

"I want to feel it kick. It's my baby too." He declared.

"Don't encourage it to kick me!" Ino shouted and brushed his hands off. She know understood the pain the little baby could do to her. She hated it. She wondered why people got so excited when their babies' kicked them, it hurt like hell.

"It'll kick you anyway. Besides we've still got plenty of time to feel our baby move." Shikamaru replied.

"_Don't remind me._" Ino groaned, exasperation heavily dictating her tone. She still had no idea how this was considered "golden".


	19. Chapter 19

Ino found herself in another age old saying, "three is a crowd". It seemed like with every ultrasound someone new joined her. She had her mother and her boyfriend on either side of her against her protests. She attended her first one alone, her mother came on the second, and now Shikamaru insisted he attend the third. His dark eyes scanned the ultrasound picture of their twenty week fetus. It was something his genius mind couldn't comprehend. Ino was positive he was making mental notes of everything the ultrasound technician was saying. He was completely absorbed in the appointment, more than Ino had been in three.

"Do you want to know the gender?" The technician asked as the appointment was drawing to a close. Ino hadn't even thought of that. The baby's gender could usually be determined between the sixteen and twenty week period so it made sense. Ino knew knowing the gender would give her some kind attachment and she wanted none of that. Ino already knew giving up her baby would be the hardest thing for her to do, so she didn't need any other attachments to make the choice worse.

"No." She decided.

"Yes." Shikamaru stated at the same time. Ino whipped her head at him with a defensive glare. _No way in hell_, Ino thought. For a man with an IQ of over 200 he must realize what Ino was thinking. He couldn't get attached either. Why did he even want to know? It's not like they had to pick paint colors for their baby's room.

She narrowed her eyes at Shikamaru before turning her attention back to the technician. She brought a light smile to her face. Shikamaru remained silent, getting the hint. He would ask when Ino left the room to get changed. That way they both got what they wanted. He also didn't want to pull the pin on the grenade that was Ino Yamanaka.

"Well alright it'll be a surprise for you two then. The technician said when the tension faded. Ino smiled appreciatively as she went to the neighboring room to put on the maternity clothes she despised.

"So is it a boy or a girl?" Shikamaru asked in a hushed whisper. Ino's mother was also paying attention to the answer eagerly. The technician glanced at the locked door nervously before mouthing the word "boy".

Shikamaru didn't know why the simple answer have him so much satisfaction. He was never the type of guy that liked surprises. He liked knowing exactly what was happening. Knowing the gender wouldn't change anything though. Their baby would still be up for adoption. That much he had already accepted.

Ino stepped out of the room and sighed after looking between the technician and Shikamaru.

"You told him didn't you?" She accused and rolled her eyes. The baby hormones made her more agitated than usual. Her lips were pursed and she let out another heavy sigh.

"Just don't tell me." She ordered before either person could respond. Ino then laced her fingers through Shikamaru's and dragged him out of the ultrasound room. Her mother hurried after them, the baby bump hadn't slowed Ino's stride. Shikamaru allowed Ino to march him to her mother's car.

"What are you mad at me for?" He asked once Ino stopped her determined pace. Ino looked back, her face saddened. She slipped her hand out of his and clasped it with the other. Her electric eyes dulled and her lips curled downwards.

She was still in denial over caring about the baby she was carrying, even after twenty weeks. She refused attachment like it was a disease. All the feelings of love for it was pushed deep within her. Ino never wanted them to surface. But now that she was two thirds of the way done it was getting harder and harder with each day.

"I'm not mad at you. I just had to get out of that stupid room. I mean what if I heard what the baby's gender was? I'm positive my mom is going to slip up and tell me the gender anyway. I don't want to know that. It'll just make me more attached to it. I'll start thinking about baby names and one will be perfect. So perfect that it will become its name just for me. Then whenever I see another baby with that same name I'll think of the one I'm giving up. And I don't w-want that..." Ino confessed, her voice cracked like shattered glass. She let her sentence trail off to stop the tears that were clinging to her eyelashes. She cursed at her baby hormones for making her more emotional than already was. She always thought with her heart over her head. Although she usually compromised her feelings or only let her happiness or anger show.

She didn't want to become attached to her baby and crush its future. She had to not care about it until it was out of her and in someone else's arms. That was how her book would end. Ino didn't need to read between the lines to know that. This was destined from the start. All she wanted was to be a good mother and give her baby a better life than her sixteen year old self could provide. But it _hurt_ so much she could barely stand it.

Shikamaru brought an arm around her shoulders and lifted her chin to see her misty eyes. He ached to help her but knew it was a battle she had to face by herself. There was nothing he could do to ease her mind and thoughts. The only thing he could do at that moment was be a shoulder to cry on. He knew she hated crying, but he'd always be there to comfort her. It was one of the few things they had in common. She never wanted him to see her cry, but he was there every time. The same went for when he cried, Ino always caught him at his lowest and brought him up again. She cradled him and he cuddled her. It was their way of bringing comfort and security to each other. They were always there for each other, even if the other protested.

Her mother had finally reached them. Shikamaru figured her high heeled boots had hindered her speed. She and Shikamaru shared a look before getting into the car for her to drive them home. The drive was eerily silent. didn't want accidentally reveal the baby was a boy. Ino didn't want to run the risk of crying if she opened her mouth again. Shikamaru wasn't much of a talker anyway, especially now.

Shikamaru twirled Ino's hair in his fingers to pass the time. Her soft platinum locks flowed through his coarse fingers like silk and reflected light from the blazing sun. Ino retaliated by plucking the hair tie out of his coarse and thick dark hair. She was very protective of her hair. As was he, he just kept that fact hidden. His eyes narrowed at her and he released her hair. He pulled his hair back into its usual severe spiky ponytail. Ino watched as he carefully smoothed over the stray pieces that curled due to the humidity.

"Aw need your hair gel?" She teased and poked his cheek. She thanked her pregnancy hormones for drastically changing her mood from depressed to her usual bubbly self. She was already prone to mood swings even without having a baby inside her.

Instead of giving her a snarky comment he simply smirked. Then he leaned down as if to kiss her, and pulled the hair ribbon out of her hair. Blonde tresses flowed around her. Her blue eyes were in the identical glare that Shikamaru wore previously.

"Aw need your hair ribbon?" He shot back and dangled the ribbon out of her grasp.

"You stole my move!" She huffed and reached for the ribbon. Ino was impressed however. She couldn't believe she fell for the same move she pulled on Shikamaru dozens of times. It was a guaranteed win. Except that one time she stumbled over her own feet and fell on top of him. He retorted saying, _"If you wanted to get on top of_ _me all you had to do was ask."_ With his signature smirk. She smacked him with a pillow in return. He still mocks her for tripping over nothing and using him as a crash pad.

"Learned it from the best." He smirked and smoothed the ribbon between his thumb and index finger. Ino wanted to wipe the smugness off his face. Two could play at this game. _Her game._ She regretted having to play dirty in the back seat of her mom's car, but she would not lose at her own game. Shikamaru could beat her at shoji, go, and chess.

She brought her hands around his neck and leaned up against his ear. Her lips formed his name in a low seductive whisper. He wasn't taking the bait that easily. She had to to plan B. Her lips brushed his temple and she trailed her kisses down his jawline. When he sharply drew a breath in Ino knew she had him in the palm of her hand. When her lips sucked the skin on his collarbone Ino snatched the ribbon and backed away. Her lips now we're in a triumphant smile.

"And you won't beat me." Ino added with a wink. Her victorious grin was still plastered on her face as she brought her long hair back into its high ponytail.

"Ino you can't seduce your boyfriend just to get back your hair ribbon." Her mother sighed as she parked in the driveway. Ino hadn't realized they were back at her house. Shikamaru's smug face returned as he peered over at Ino's guilty blush. She was still pleased that she could still seduce even with her small, but protruding baby bump.

"But he deserved it mom, he stole my signature move." Ino replied matter-of-factly. She flipped her now secure ponytail at Shikamaru and exited the car and went into her house. Shikamaru followed, already planning his payback. Planning ahead was something his IQ excelled at.

Shikamaru followed Ino to her bedroom and he shut the door behind him. His feet took him to her bed. It was clad in the same purple sheets from when they were kids. Ino sat next to him, still beaming from her perfectly executed victory to get her hair ribbon. His eyes sparked with mischief and he effortlessly pinned her to the bed. Her small hands were entwined with his larger ones, further restricting her movement. Shikamaru knew this was his checkmate. It was like his there move win he used on her when they played chess. The game was won before she even knew it started. Her baby blue eyes admired his unusually dominant move.

She didn't have time to praise him for actually doing something with his lazy body, he was already lavishing her with kisses. She enjoyed every single one; the soft, the feverish, the fast, the slow, and all the ones in between. Love and affection were poured into each one. He always treated her like a princess, she wouldn't have it any other way.

Ino already absorbed herself in the pampering that she didn't notice one of his hands slip from hers. She didn't notice it trail up the bedding until it reached her ponytail. She only noticed when it plucked the hair ribbon and held it between them.

"You stole my move again!" Ino screeched. His devilish laughter filled her ears as he moved off her. Pulling her up with him by the hand he was still holding.

"It's called payback. And this time I think I'm going to keep it." He smirked and tucked the ribbon into his back pocket. Ino icy glare could've made an ice queen give up her throne.

"I can't believe I fell for my own move! _Again_." She groaned and slammed her hand on the bedding in a quick bout of fury. Shikamaru chuckled under his breath and pecked her cheek. Ino swatted him away to keep from falling into another one of his perfectly set traps. She held her palm up to keep him from saying something snarky like his usual self would.

"Hey Shikamaru can I ask you something?" She asked, already knowing he wouldn't object.

"Of course you know you can ask me anything." He shrugged in response like asking was a complete waste of time. His bored tone had returned.

"You kissed me like you did that night. Like the baby bump didn't even exist. Why?" Ino asked and locked her eyes with his. The tone in her eyes fit the soft blue hue. They were pure and innocent, like a child asking his parents how a baby is made. They seemed so unsure that Shikamaru almost felt hurt. He wondered if she thought so little of him that a small bump would change the way he felt about her.

"Because I still love you the way I did that night. The baby bump will never change that. " Shikamaru answered, his tone was so soft that Ino wondered if it was actually his. She had never heard it be so raw and sincere before. His hand even seemed softer as it held her cheek. She knew that much she was probably making up in her mind, but she didn't care.

"So you'll still love me even when I'm huge?" She questioned with an eyebrow raised. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and pressed his lips to hers. Because after all words aren't the only way to show how you feel. He knew that better than anyone. Ino was given her answer with that simple kiss, the best answer she could've received.


	20. Chapter 20

Shikamaru realized Ino's hormones made her like a cloud. Sometimes she was angry and hectic like a storm cloud. Other days she was bubbly and bright like a spring cloud. She got moody and depressed like a rain cloud. Her personality was at times neutral like an plain cloud, although this was the least often. Her personality could be big and bold like a full cloud. Or it could be barely there like a wispy one.

Cloudwatching was the favorite pastime after all. He didn't have to go to his hill anymore, just her house. Currently her mood matched the storm outside. The thunder was the only thing that could tune out her loud whining. He had to stifle a laugh when their baby kicked Ino in synchronization with the lightning to avoid getting kicked out into the pouring rain.

"This baby is going to break my sanity!" She announced crossly. She snapped every syllable. Her eyes narrowed at the baby bump that plagued her with rapidly changing tempers. Shikamaru rolled his eyes for what seemed like the fiftieth time that day. He wished she could see the beauty of the baby and not just its flaws.

"You know the baby isn't that bad. Don't you think you're overreacting?" Shikamaru questioned in his signature monotone. Ino scowled at his comment and opened her mouth to protest. The sound that followed wasn't her voice, but another roar of thunder. A booming _pop_ filled the room and the light disappeared. Ino gasped as if the power outage occurred just to spite her. It didn't help that her bedroom was nearly pitch black. It made her mood worsen even more.

Ino took a page from Shikamaru's sarcastism book and groaned, "Well isn't this _just great_." She was glad she had outgrown her fear of the dark when she was eight or else she would've been a panicked mess. Still she hated power outages and how they filled her with boredom. When she was a kid her parents would pull out an old board game and they'd play it for hours until the power came back on. Her mother had taken an extra shift at work, probably just to avoid her hormonal daughter. That meant she was stuck with her strangely tense boyfriend. Ino knew him like the back of her hand, so she recognized something wasn't right with him. She questioned him several times and was met by defensive replies.

"I'm going to get candles." Ino announced. Her voice cut through the darkness like a razor. Ino could barely make out his silhouette in the shadows. However she could hear his feet shuffling towards her. A small light formed in front of them, caused by Shikamaru flicking his lighter on. Ino always wondered why he kept that lighter with him at all times. He would shrug and call it his lucky charm.

"I'll go too, wouldn't want you to trip over something in the dark." He stated beside her. He let the lighter guide them to the stairway. Shikamaru went down each step at a painfully slow pace. Luckily for his ears Ino's complains were drowned out by the rumbling thunder.

Once they were on the bottom floor Shikamaru handed the lighter to Ino so she could lead them to the candles. Ino took Shikamaru's hand to lead the way even though she knew he could see her clearly due to the flame from his lighter. Ino knew her mother kept all emergency supplies in the closet in their hallway. Her mother was extremely paranoid about disasters so she had not one, but three sets of emergency kits. Each one included a flashlight, canned food, blankets, water, matches, a first aid kit, a lantern, a radio, a pocket knife, and batteries. Her mother also kept an abundance of candles in the closet. Ino always mocked her mother for being over prepared, but was about to bite those words.

Ino grabbed a kit and Shikamaru loaded his arms with as many candles as he could hold. They brought their supplies to Ino's living room and spread them around. Ino separated the flashlight, lantern, radio, and matches from the kit and pushed the other contents aside. Shikamaru used his genius mind to find the best layout for the candles to revive the maximum amount of light without them being too close together. They listened to the radio for any news while lighting the candles.

"We might have to go another whole day before we get power_._" Ino sighed after hearing the power lines were out and would need to be fixed, but the workers couldn't start until it was morning.

"It could be worse, remember when we were out of power for a week a couple of years ago." Shikamaru replied boredly. Ino nestled herself between his legs propped against her sofa. Shikamaru brought his arms around her belly and she rested her hands over his.

"At least we have each other to keep us company." She sighed contently. She was thankful for having him so she wouldn't be alone. She needed something to entertain her.

"What do we think we should now?" asked Shikamaru.

"Can we blow out some of these candles? They're making me feel sick." Ino suggested and squirmed out of his arms. He agreed the mixture of the scented candles was nauseating. In hindsight they shouldn't have mixed every scented candle together.

Warm vanilla mixed with fresh cotton and smoky fireside. Every floral scent melded with each other, causing the scent to be like a hundred bottles of grandma's broken perfume. Strong citrus notes met herbal undertones to create the smell of ancient tea. Then all those scents fused together to create a horrid scent that even the weakest nose would smell and gag over.

Smoke wafted through the air as the pair feverishly blew out the candles. Ino cursed at her mother for not buying plain soy candles instead. Ino coughed as the smoke surrounded them and waited for it to fade. She held in her nausea as the smoke mixed with the burned scent mixture. Shikamaru grabbed Ino's hand and led her to the hallway. He held his nose and Ino did the same.

"That has got to be out worst idea ever." Ino laughed once the disgusting smell was faint enough to bear. She was annoyed that they were back in near complete darkness. Just like before his silhouette was the only thing she could make out even with their close proximity.

"Let's stick with the lanterns." Shikamaru agreed and pulled the other two out of the closet. Ino winced when their brightness broke through the darkness. Her eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness.

The stark white glow of the lamps were blinding with their brightness. They filled Ino's living room with light, successfully casting the darkness away. Much brighter than the candles.

"Now what should we do?" Ino asked with annoyance. Her flustered face was highlighted by the extreme lights, they made her already pale face luminous and brought out every emotion. Shikamaru shrugged in response. His face was a blank slate.

The room was filled with sounds, none of which being voices. Rain slamming vigorously against the windows. Thunder roaring with so much force that Ino had to cover her ears to keep them from popping. Wind howling and thrusting branches against the windows like a cage fight.

Ino grabbed a blanket and hugged it tightly around her body even though it was summer and that usually meant scorching heat. It was nighttime and the windows were open from earlier in the day. The rigid wind flowed into the room and cooled it down. Not pleasantly however.

Bringing the blanket with her, Ino moved to shut one of the many windows. With some struggle she managed to do it, she cursed at how strong the wind was. Her eyes grazed over to Shikamaru, who was also having to use quite a bit of force to close a window. Together they shut each window, with many complaints from both parties.

"That was too troublesome." Shikamaru groaned and rubbed the back of his head. Ino nodded in agreement and sighed when she realized there was another floor to her house. _With many windows. _

"We still have to do the upstairs." She ordered and with reluctance Shikamaru followed her up the stairway. Ino used a blinding lantern as a guide. Her bedroom was first. There was only one window, but it took up a third of the wall. Ino and Shikamaru had to wrestle it closed.

"Hey Ino has that tree always been this close to your window?" Shikamaru asked, already sensing something was wrong. Lightning struck outside the house at that moment. In a dark blur he pressed Ino to the floor and covered her as the massive oak tree burst through the window. Ino shrieked his name in surprise. Glass mixed with the rain to pour over them. Ino tried to twist around to see what was going on, but his arms were too strong around her. She had to settle with focusing all her hearing on the scene.

Shikamaru braced his body to absorb the impact that never came. He slightly moved his head to the side to see the tree crashed against her bed, a good distance away. The large shards of glass were near the window and not scattered around them to his relief. Besides the sprinkles of glass and debris on and around him there was no damage to them. He guessed it was because they were as far away from the window as they could've been.

He now braced his ears for the scolding from Ino he knew was coming. It almost made him wish he did get hit by a shard of glass just so shielding her would've been more justified. He lifted himself off her and offered his hand. She accepted it reluctantly and let him help her up.

"Are you alright?" Ino asked and was pleased by his lack of injuries. When he assured her he was fine she immediately released his hand and planted both hands on her hips.

"Good. Why the hell did you do that?" She barked. Her face was red with anger and embarrassment. She always hated when he tried to play hero for her. That's why she never admitted she didn't actually mind his protectiveness.

"Because a tree was about to crash into your room." He yawned in response. He nonchalantly brushed himself off and shook the glass out of his hair.

"Look how far it is from us." She shot back. Her face refused to admit how worried she was. Her lips were pursed in a thin line and her eyes were unreadable.

"Well I didn't know that at the time. I thought it was going to hit you instead." He replied, he decided to own his action instead of making excuses for it. He never understood why Ino made a big deals about it. He wasn't just protecting her anymore. Even if she would survive getting struck by the tree, which he highly doubted, his baby wouldn't. Ino was one of the two people he took care of. She often forgot about the baby, but he didn't. He could see Ino's tough facade faltering.

"But then you would've gotten hurt or even killed. What makes you think your life is worth less than mine!" Ino yelled loud enough that the thunder could not mask it. Shikamaru stared at his feet trying to think of a comeback. If he said he didn't think that then she'd accuse him of being a liar. Which she wouldn't be wrong about. If he told he put her well being above his own then she'd continue her rant. That was partly true. But he knew he'd get the worst reaction if he told her it was because she was carrying his child. He couldn't be positive of what her reaction would be. He guessed it would be a lot of arguing and then she'd probably end up crying and then she'd start screaming at him again.

"I'm waiting." She huffed and tapped her foot. This was one questions she wasn't going to let him squirm out of. She'd be pissed at whatever his answer was, and she knew he was aware of that.

"It was my first reaction, I didn't have any time to think of a better solution. You know I won't let you get hurt if I could stop it. If I did have more time I probably would've pulled us both out of the room or pushed both of us under that desk over there. But since I only a had a second to act on I had to keep you as safe as I possibly could. For you and the baby, you're carrying two lives with you now, remember." He explained, hoping it would give him the easiest reaction to endure.

Ino's stern face melted into a saddened one. She hadn't thought about that before. Sure she knew she had to take better care of herself to take care of her baby. She didn't take unnecessary risks about anything to keep it as safe as possible. But at times she didn't think of it as another living creature, but just baggage to carry around. She hated herself in those moments, and this was one of them.

"I hadn't thought about that." Ino mumbled partly do her voice growing hoarser from yelling over the thunder. Her face was coated in guilt.

"Don't worry about it. You're fine, I'm fine, and so is our baby. That's what counts." Shikamaru assured and kissed her temple. He reached down and grabbed her blanket that had slipped off when he shielded her and brushed the debris off it. Then he wrapped it around her and picked up the discarded lantern. His free arm went around her shoulders, which allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder.

"But we still have to close the other windows." Ino protested as Shikamaru led them back down the stairway.

"I'm not risking any more trees crashing into us." He replied with a smirk. Once they were back on her sofa Ino moved the blanket around both of them. She crept under his arm and snuggled into his side.

"My poor bedroom." Ino whined and snuggled into his side even more. She spent years making it perfect and it just got destroyed.

"Guess that means you'll have to sleep on the couch tonight. And that means I'll have to sleep on the floor." Shikamaru sighed.

"Nah you can sleep up here with me. But you better be the big spoon." Ino objected and poked his chest. He raised an eyebrow at her, but settled his face into a smirk. For awhile they were comfortable counting the amount of lightning strikes. Ino would throw in a complain about her ruined room every so often. In true Ino fashion she grew bored of the routine.

"Why have you been acting strange, more tense. And don't try to blow me off because we're going to be stuck with each other for a very long time and I'm not letting this question go." Ino questioned and peered up at him. His eyes immediately averted. Her eyes were narrowed in accusation at him.

"You know it's pretty late, we should-" he began and was cut off by Ino punching him in the shoulder.

"You can tell me anything." Ino assured. Keeping secrets was something they swore not to do to each other after all the ones they endured. Most of them were Ino's however.

"Your mom gave me a picture of the ultrasound. I know we decided on adoption, but I don't want to never see it again. I want to be part of its life you know? I'm not sure if I can go through with it."He confessed. He agreed with adoption being what was best for their baby. But he couldn't imagine just erasing it from his mind. He knew he agreed with Ino that they'd put the baby up for adoption, but he had second thoughts.

"Well we can see if there would be any adoptive parents that would let us. Or at least see pictures of our baby. We might have to wait till it's a little older, but I'm sure there are some people willing to do that." Ino explained and rested her hand over his heart. He didn't look convinced.

"I don't know about that Ino." He replied and placed his hand over the baby bump. A smile broke on his face. Ino grunted in pain as the baby kicked as if on que.

"The little twerp." She smiled and shook her head. She had gotten used to the quick flash of pain the kicks inflicted on her. They had become more frquent as the weeks went on.

"We rushed this decision and I think we need more time to think about it." Shikamaru insisted. Ino's smile faded.

"You know where I stand, but if you can give me a better reason to keep it then I'll listen." Ino said giving him an ultimatum. Shikamaru pondered a reason before Ino placed a finger over his lips.

"I don't mean right now." She giggled.

They both yawned at the same time and shared the same tired look. Shikamaru laid down on his side to allow Ino to fit on the sofa if she did the same position. When she did he brought the blanket over them. It was a tight squeeze, but comfortable enough for them. Like he promised Shikamaru brought his arms around her and held her firmly against his chest.

"This would've been better in my bed." Ino pouted.

"Well it's being occupied by a tree at the moment." Shikamaru remarked with his sarcastic smirk plastered on his face.

Ino pecked him on the lips before saying, "I never did say thank you for protecting me." Her eyes were twinkling at him when she me this dark eyes. She could tell he was expecting something more than a light peck. So she pressed her lips onto his again and gave him a deeper kiss.

"Better?" She asked

"Better."


	21. Chapter 21

Ino's eyes were narrowed into slits at the window. She didn't know the time, but even she could tell it was still nighttime. The outside was pitch black besides the frequent strikes of lightning. She wished the storm had a snooze button so she could sleep. Her light blue eyes drooped in fatigue but never closed. Everytime she tried a flash of lightning would bring light on the back of her eyelids and the thunder rang in her ears. How could anyone sleep in this? It was then her eyes trailed up the sleeping dark figure holding her. Even in the complete darkness Ino could tell how tranquil Shikamaru was. She wondered how he could sleep through this. Then she realized it wasn't the most insane idea given how much he loved the activity.

If she focused closely enough she could make out all his features in the darkness. He had a handsome face in an understated way. Not the type to crane your neck to get a glance, but the type that drew you to him to solve the mystery behind it. His dark eyelashes just barely brushed his slim cheekbones. His usual brow furrows smoothed over since he had nothing to irritate him. The darkness placed shadows along his jawline and temples making his face look leaner. When the lightning flashed it highlighted his cheekbones and forehead. It was at those quick moments that Ino could see his ghost of a smile. He looked more peaceful than she had ever seen him be. His face remained unfazed through every roar of thunder. It was mesmerizing.

Ino brought a delicate finger to his temple. Her index finger barely brushed his tan skin as she trailed it down the side of his face to his jaw. It moved across his face like a pen on paper. She traced a heart on his cheekbone and promptly rolled her eyes at her silliness. She moved to his lips and outlined them slowly. She brought the corner of his mouth down, giving him a pouty frown. Then she moved up to his nose and gave it a light tap. Her finger lightly pulled the corner of his eye to see if he'd give any type of reaction. The only reaction she received was a faint nose scrunch. Her hands cupped both his cheeks and she tipped her head down to gently kiss his forehead. Her platinum blonde hair fell freely over her shoulders and tickled his collarbone. She used just enough pressure to feel his skin under her lips and nothing more. She would've hated to interrupt his peaceful slumber. Ino's lips melted into a soft smile at how strangely innocent he looked. There were many words she could use to describe Shikamaru, innocent wasn't one of them.

She had never touched his face like that before. Shikamaru felt it was troublesome and unnecessary. His face felt so soft despite his unusually hard exterior. She usually had to catch him off guard to see his softer side.

Her fatigue was still present and she began to wonder if she'd have to wait out the storm in order to get even an hour of sleep. Her current position was only making her tiredness worse. Shikamaru's arms around her provided warmth and security like a baby blanket. He held her so close to his chest that she could hear the calming beating of his heart. On any other occasion she would be able to sleep the night away. But with each element of the storm sounding as if they were battling to see who was the strongest, the idea of sleep quickly vanished from her mind.

The thunder shook her ear drums with its booming roar. The rain sounded like it was trying to break her window with every fiber in its body. The wind howled like it was a full moon in werewolf season. The rain and wind would mix together to slam into her windows and coat their whole surfaces with water droplets. Lightning would blind Ino for a few seconds and would be followed up with deafening thunder. Every so often a branch would be slapped across her window due to the violent wind.

Ino already had a tree through her bedroom, she didn't want another one through her living room. The thought devastated her. That was the bedroom she had lived in her entire life. It changed with her and matured with her. It's where her father her would read her bedtime stories and tuck her into bed. It's where her mother endured countless tea parties and other silly games. It had the bed she went to sleep and woke up in everyday. There were too many memories to count made in that room. Knowing that it had been destroyed felt like a part of her had been destroyed as well.

She supposed the upside was that no one was hurt. Not even Shikamaru who Ino was certain would at least have a couple cuts and bruises. She could still remember how it all had happened in what seemed like a single second; the lightning strike, Shikamaru pinning her to the floor to ensure her safety, and then the sound of the tree shattering her window into hundreds of glass pieces. She remembered the odd mixture of security and complete panic she felt as the chaos happened around her. She couldn't see anything, only hear. The only sounds she heard were those of destruction. The only comfort she would've received was his voice, but he was silent and still like a statue. The wait for Shikamaru to say or do anything seemed liked hours. Her panicked heart only settled when she saw him unharmed from protecting her.

He wasn't just protecting her though, there was also their baby. Anyone could tell he adored it. That made it so much harder for Ino to feel differently. The baby she was carrying was theirs, _but it wasn't._ Yes it has both their genes in it, but they weren't parents. In the future they could be but not when they were only sixteen. Ino wondered why he couldn't see that. Ino guessed it was because he had a father that was pretty absent in his life. That's why he babysat Mirai, so she could have a father figure. Ino knew the only way to convince him about adoption was to prove their baby would be in safe hands with loving parents.

She never thought she'd be the practical one in their relationship. That had been his role throughout the childhood. Her head was filled with dreams and fantasies. It was his job to bring her down to earth. Even if that meant being crude and harsher than necessary. That didn't stop her from being idealistic.

Shikamaru always kept her grounded but let her fantasize and dream. Somehow he always knew the balance. He never crushed her dreams, but made them dreams. He broke the news when they were impossible, but brought realism to them for her to aspire to. She couldn't say that about anyone else, not even her parents.

It was just another thing she loved about him. He wasn't at all what she had imagined as a boyfriend. He wasn't the ideal prince that her child self fantasized about. She wasn't a child anymore, her dreams matured. He had flaws and quirks but they didn't push her away. Yes, he was lazy and apathetic in most situations. It was in those off moments that made Ino remember why she fell in love with him in the first place.

He was cool under pressure and could come up with a solution to any problem. He knew the right words to say and could get his point across to any audience. His IQ was over 200 but he was never cocky about it. At the same time he wasn't as confident as his extreme intelligence would imply. Ino could tell he tried to cover up his insecurities about a range of topics. It made Shikamaru less like a ghost of a person than he usually let on.

Ino was usually the one to initiate their romantic moments, but Shikamaru never gave them half an effort like he did for most activities. If she wanted to cuddle his arms would be around her within minutes. He never objected to a make out session. He wasn't a Casanova by any means but Ino could tell he cared, and that's what mattered to her. His ways of showing affection in public were minimal. Shikamaru liked their moments to be exclusive. They didn't need to prove they were in love to anyone.

There was another crack of thunder, successfully interrupting Ino's thoughts. The storm had been wiped from her mind, new thoughts distracted her instead. Her body went rigid in response. The feeling of shock only lasted a few seconds, but Shikamaru's arms held her closer as if subconsciously trying to calm her. He always knew what she was feeling even when he was deep in slumber.

Ino again wondered how on earth he could sleep through this storm and look so peaceful while doing it? She also wondered why sleeping next to a warm body was supposed to help you sleep better. Ino felt his cheek with her hand and its warmth radiated into her palm. He was a warm body. That should make sleeping easier. The thunderstorm was shattering her dreams of sleeping however. It had been going on for hours and showed no signs of stopping.

With a defeated sigh Ino untangled herself from the mess of limbs she was laying in and quietly slipped off the sofa. Shikamaru let out a light growl before turning over to his other side. Her bare feet were met with cool flooring and she longed for socks. The smooth hardwood flooring did feel refreshing to touch. With the lightest of steps Ino made her way to the pile of supplies in the corner of the room. Her eyes couldn't adjust to the large mass of objects so she had to feel her way through the mess. After digging through the pile her fingers wrapped around the object wanted, a flashlight. Her eyes shut immediately after clicking it on. Brightness clung to the back of her eyelids. Her eyelashes fluttered rapidly against her cheeks after reopening them in order for them to adjust.

After shining the circle of light around the room Ino spotted the antique bookshelf against the wall. The floorboards creaked with every footstep further enhancing the ominous tone of the dark room. She dismissed her consciousness about being too loud, if Shikamaru could sleep through the loudest thunderstorm Ino had ever encountered the he could sleep through a couple of loud footsteps.

Seeing the bookshelf up close made Ino realize how old it was. The paint was chipped and peeling around the corners. Dust collected on the tops of the books that had never been read. Ino swore half of the were just for show. Ino counted three cobwebs as she scanned each shelf for a certain book. It stuck out like a sore thumb against the dark tones with its pastel yellow cover and powder blue wording. That's why it was at the bottom shelf, hidden behind the armchair in front of it.

Ino held the thick paperback book tightly against the chest as she sat in the armchair. Holding the flashlight high so it's light should shine on the book Ino read the cover, _You and Your Baby_. It was a book parents would fill out as their baby grew and developed. It followed from pregnancy to the first year of a baby's life. Ino had never shown curiosity in it until now but with nothing better to do she decided to read it. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation that had heightened her maternal instinct.

The first page only had a date and a picture. September 23rd, Ino's birthday. Her mother was holding a newly born Ino in her arms. Her mother's eyes weren't on the camera, but directly on Ino. Her smile showed her pearly white teeth in a candid photo, like she didn't even realize a photo was being taken. Maybe she didn't. Ino could see the pure love that her mother's eyes held on the tiny baby she was holding.

The next few pages were filled with ultrasound pictures and little notes and dates. Ino skimmed over those quickly and moved on. The next page had all her birth information with cutesy scribbles all over, Ino figured she probably did those. She scowled at how boring the book was so far.

Her father was the one holding her in the next page. Ino guessed she was about six months old. It was similar to the one with her mother in many ways. His navy eyes were fully absorbed in her. A beaming proud smile was plastered from ear to ear on his face. Ino still had the same electric baby blue eyes now. She was already clad in purple clothing, even at only six months. The only real difference Ino could tell was that she was asleep in the first picture and in the second she looked like she she had ants in her pants. She figured she was a very hyper child when she was an infant. The thing that caught her eye was the small caption below the photograph. _To my baby who I hope will grow up to become as caring and beautiful as the bush clover flower. _

Ino could feel a tear welling in her eye and shut the book hastily. Even after a year had passed, she still got emotional at even the thought of her father. Another part of her felt like that wasn't the only reason her heart felt saddened. The looks in both her parents eyes were filled with warmth and tenderness when they looked at her. It was like nothing else in the world mattered to them except for her. So that's what a parent feels like, Ino thought. How could she know if that's how she would feel? She didn't feel that way about the baby currently. She cared for it and wanted it be healthy and happy, but that feeling of constant love wasn't there. It wouldn't be fair to only half-heartedly love something, her baby deserved more than that. It deserves more than she could give and she knew that was a fact. Then why did she have such a heart wrenching feeling about it?


	22. Chapter 22

Shikamaru raised a hand over his eyes as they opened to daylight. He guessed that meant the storm was over with. The sun shone through the windows and filled Ino's living room with obnoxious light. He stretched his other arm on the sofa he was laying and found it was cold. He remembered sleeping with Ino by his side. The petite blonde wasn't in his arms anymore, he figured she had already woken up. Grudgingly he lifted his hand off his eyes and squinted them to look around the room. He despised mornings because they meant waking up and dealing with another troublesome day. He didn't remember his dream, but he knew it was something pleasant and that made waking up that much harder.

His legs felt stiff from laying straight to accommodate two people to fit on one sofa. Sitting up straight he scanned the area for Ino. His bright and eccentric girlfriend was nowhere to be seen. He exhaled heavily as he realized he would actually have to get up and find her. His lazy bones didn't like that idea in the slightest. His whole body felt like tin in desperate need of oil. Every limb ached as he moved off the sofa and around the main floor. When his searching came up short he figured she had gone upstairs. Probably to clean to mess of her room, courtesy of the storm. Shikamaru wondered if the power had gone back on so he flipped up a light switch to see if more light would coat the room. He sighed when the room remained the same, there wasn't power yet. His feet carried him up the stairway and into the first room, Ino's.

Not much was left intact after the tree burst through the the window. Her bedframe was crushed under the tree. Her purple sheets had been so coated in debris and dirt that they had turned into a muddy brownish, grayish shade. Her nightstand was now a pile of broken ebony wood. All her picture frames had shattered glass that made the pictures they held unreadable. Rain and debris covered the walls. Glass from the window was still strewn around on the hardwood flooring. And of course her window was now just a whole in her wall.

Then he spotted her curled up like a pill bug in the farthest corner where the least damage was. Carefully avoiding the broken glass, Shikamaru made his way over to her. A dozen questions ran through his mind as to why she was there in the first place. He figured the only person that could answer was her. His tired expression softened when his dark eyes fell on her. It may have been her cutest moment.

Her long blonde hair was out of its signature ponytail and fell freely around her. The sun shone through the window and made her already shiny hair glisten. Her bangs fell into her closed eyes. Her thick eyelashes brushed her cheekbones like a butterfly's wing. Her mouth was opened just slightly and he could see her peacefully light breaths. But it was her body language that Shikamaru found to be the cutest. Maybe it was because of how innocent and childlike it made her seem. Maybe it was because she was clad in his royal blue sweatshirt that was perfectly oversized on her. Her knees were curled to her chest and the rest of her body caved itself around them. Her hands her curled into small fists against her chest.

Shikamaru questioned if he should wake her up or let her be. It was extremely rare for him to wake up before her, so he knew she must've been exhausted. Still he didn't like the idea of her sleeping on the hardwood floor and giving him sass about it for the rest of the day. A wave of complaints would follow after that as well. There was also the fact that she was sleeping in a room full of broken glass and other destroyed items that could very well injure her. When he looked closely he saw a tiny cut on her cheek and scowled. Judging by her soft and serene face he doubted she even noticed.

It still bothered him so he kneeled beside her and gently shook her shoulder. Ino was usually a light sleeper so she should've woken up right away. Instead her nose scrunched and shrugged her shoulder away. Shikamaru sighed and pulled her into a sitting position against his chest. He continued to say her name in her ear until she stirred awake. Her eyes were only half open but Shikamaru could tell she was pissed.

"_I'm tired_." She drawled and attempted to snuggle into his shoulder. Shikamaru stopped her and locked his eyes with hers. He pondered if this was how she felt when she tried to wake him up. He was already getting frustrated her and she hadn't been awake for even a full minute. Calling her awake was a stretch in itself.

"You shouldn't sleep on the floor. What are you doing up here anyway?" Shikamaru asked in a scolding tone. Ino's baby blue eyes scanned the room, trying to make out were she was.

"I couldn't sleep because of that damn storm so I had to entertain myself somehow. I came up here to get my notebook." Ino responded, her voice weighed down by tiredness. Dark circles were under her eyes from lack of sleep. Shikamaru gave her a pity smile which she frowned at.

"Making lists again?" He questioned. She nodded and was glad he knew her so well. List making was one of Ino's ways to calm down or relax. He never understood how it helped her, but he didn't question it. If it helped her eccentric mind focus then he was all for the idea. He did feel a bit of guilt over sleeping through the entire night while she was forced into list making to calm down.

Ino would never tell him what she was listing off, the cons of parenthood. She knew then he would assume she was contemplating keeping the baby and then he'd get his hopes up. She was only listing the cons because she needed her mind to know how impractical parenting was for her age. She was afraid writing the pros would only confuse her mind further. She needed to convince herself in order to convince Shikamaru.

"I'm tired." Ino repeated and pouted at her boyfriend that woke her up.

"Fine lets go to your sofa, it'll be comfier than the floor." Shikamaru complied and stood up. He offered his hand to her but let it drop when her soft blue orbs simply stared at it. He immediately knew that meant for him to carry her. Shikamaru forgot how childish Ino got when she was sleep deprived. With a roll of his eyes he offered her his back for a piggyback ride. She gleefully accepted. Sometimes he swore she acted like a six year old on purpose when she didn't get her desired amount of sleep.

"Was the storm really that loud?" He asked her as he exited the room with her glued to his back. He secretly liked the way her arms clung around his neck and her blush radiated onto his neck. He knew her well enough that she would use that to her advantage if he ever told her. Giving her piggyback rides would be part of his usual routine. Even with the extra baby weight she was surprisingly light, which was understandable for her height. Still a few extra pounds wouldn't hurt her.

"It was deafening." Ino murmured. She was already drifting back into sleep.

"Huh, I didn't notice." He shrugged and finished doing down the steps to reach the main floor.

"I'm aware." She yawned and glared at the back of his head. Shikamaru set her down on the sofa and watched as she immediately sprawled on it and shut her eyes. She'd by asleep in minutes, Shikamaru thought. After he was sure she was asleep, he bent down to kiss her cheek and ruffle her bangs. Her lips lightly pouted subconsciously, but fell into a small smile.

His feet paced back and forth in an effort to pass the time. If he hadn't just woken up, he would've taken a nap. If there was power he would've watched something on the television. If he was in his house he would've read one of his books. Sadly none of those things were avavliable to do. So he settled on sitting by the window and watching the clouds pass by. They were so white and simple taut no one would be able to tell a chaotic storm had occurred the day before.

He could watch clouds for hours without succumbing to boredom. It gave him time to reflect on any range of topics. He was teased constantly for it but he couldn't far less. Popularity wasn't on his list of priorities. He never was popular and didn't desire to be. His two best friends cared about it but not him. Ino had quite a bit of success in that department, Choji was the polar opposite. Shikamaru supposed he was more in the middle of it, he wasn't adored or hated by anyone. He was liked by the people he knew, by most people didn't know him. He preferred it to be that way. He didn't want a bunch of people worshipping him, like they did with Ino or Kiba. On the other hand he didn't want to be ridiculed or ignored, like Choji or Naruto. He was perfectly content with his social standing.

He peered back at the social butterfly sleeping soundly on the sofa. He knew her better than anyone. She'd object to him knowing her better than she knew herself, but Shikamaru felt otherwise. He felt the complete understanding of each other went both ways. It came from knowing each other their whole lives. She knew all his quirks and flaws, and visa versa. He trusted her instincts more than he did his own. He admires her charisma and how she could get along with anyone, even if they had a bumpy start. She can forgive and forget the small things, but if you hurt one of her friends she can and will make your life a living hell. At least for a few days.

They offset each other in a perfect balance. She is loud and bubbly. He is quiet and grumpy. She is eccentric. He is apathetic. She is always busy as a bee. He is the definition of lazy. She can be anxious and flustered. He is always cool as a cucumber. She frets over the little things. He lets them pass him by. She makes the most of everyday. He sleeps through most of it. The saying _opposites attract_ is their relationship's motto.

He peeled his hands off the windowsill and moved to her side, suddenly feeling compelled to do so. He took her hand in his and it immediately fit like a puzzle piece. There was something about how her small and pale hand looked in his larger and tanner one that made his heart skip a beat. Shikamaru didn't consider himself to be a sappy romantic by any stretch of imagination do he didn't know why he felt like that.

His six year old child self would've called him a wuss for having the troublesome Ino as a girlfriend. She had been brash and aggressive to him, to have any romantic feelings for her would've made him a masochist. That same childish mind would've scrunched his nose in disgust at the thought. For two reasons; romance was the second most troublesome thing and Ino was the first.

Shikamaru couldn't tell how much time had passed while he waited for her to wake up. He didn't need something else to do, he was already absorbed in the sleeping beauty before him. He counted every change in her face. Sometimes her smile would widen like she was having a good dream. Other times her brows would furrow like she was deep in a thought. She murmured his name sweetly twice. Sometimes she'd squeeze his hand as if for comfort.

It seemed like hours before Ino opened her eyes. A smile spread across her face when she saw him waiting for her.

"Have you been staring at me?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. She smirked, already telling he had for a long time. If it had been anyone else she would've felt self conscious, but she had the same thing to him the night prior.

"How could I not?" He smirked, trying to sweet talk himself out of a scolding.

"Well I suppose that's true. I mean just look at me!" Ino agreed with a flip of her platinum hair. Shikamaru rolled his eyes with a eagle of his head. He had to agree with her though, silently of course.

"So it seemed like you were having an interesting dream, what was it about?" Shikamaru questioned, trying to change the topic.

"Oh nothing..." Ino said innocently. Her little smile told otherwise.


	23. Chapter 23

The left side of his bed was cold. Shikamaru knew that meant Ino had already gotten up. She always woke up before him, usually by several hours. Warmth engulfed him as the blanket they now shared was wrapped around him completely, courtesy of Ino. It had been two weeks since a tree crashed through her bedroom. Workers were in and out of her house daily to fix it, so with much pleading Ino wormed her way into his room to stay in. For the first few days Shikamaru slept on his couch, not sure how he felt about sleeping in same bed as her. He was the more bashful one in their relationship and thought it may be too mature. Ino always objected to the idea saying that they would just sleep, perfectly innocent. Three days full of back pain later he was sleeping soundly beside her.

Having Ino around was just as troublesome as Shikamaru imagined. Her pregnancy complaints only grew with each day. Now she was plagued with abdomen and back aches from the growing baby bump. He had to keep his room spotless as Ino was a perfectionist and wouldn't allow herself to sleep in a messy room. Her alarm went off a full two hours before he was ready to wake up, he later learned to sleep through it. The aroma of her delicious cooking wafted through the air, but she always swatted his hand away saying she was cooking for herself and the baby. Leaving him with his mother's mediocre meals or his own lazily prepared food.

His mother was more than thrilled to have another headstrong woman in the Nara household. Shikamaru was a bit terrified at how similar the two were. They were bossy, loud, and aggressive. They shared the same devilish smile when they forced him to do something his lazy bones disagreed with. Even their warning stances were identical, hands on hips and eyes that could melt Antarctica.

Begrudgingly Shikamaru forced himself out of comfortable bed and onto his carpeted floor. His feet moved down each step slowly and carefully to avoid noise. Soft humming filled his ears as he neared his kitchen. He had never heard her sing a single note before, but her humming was angelic. It was so soft, unlike her usual louder and at times obnoxious tone.

He saw that she was humming over the scent of the freshly made coffee she held in her hands. Her extremely long hair in a loose braid down her back. Her bangs as well as other longer loose piece of hair framed her face perfectly. Shikamaru have never seen her out her hair in that style before. If her platinum locks weren't in the signature high ponytail then they hung freely down her back. He did recall seeing her hair in a sloppy bun at some points though. She was wearing one of his t-shirts that she expressed were _so_ much comfier than her own clothes. His shirts had become her pajamas. On the counter beside her was yet another one of her perfectly prepared plates of breakfast. The blueberry pancakes were light and fluffy. Shikamaru could tell that even under the rather large pile of whipped cream that coated them. He had noticed Ino's sweet tooth had grown as her pregnancy progressed. A pile of strawberries were placed beside the tall stack of pancakes as well. He swallowed his envy as he crept nearer to his blonde target. His dark eyes locked onto the pile of strawberries on the plate, Ino's favorite fruit. He figured it would give him a taste of vengeance. Shikamaru was glad she was blissfully unaware of his presence.

He stealthily stretched an arm and snatched a handful of strawberries from the plate. Ino's head whipped around at her smirking boyfriend, a strawberry already between his lips. She reached a hand out but he raised them above his head, perfectly out of Ino's reach. She puffed her cheeks after many failed attempts to reach them.

"These are delicious. You should try one." Shikamaru teased. One by one he ate each strawberry. He had to step back to keep Ino from lunging at him. He personally didn't like the tart and sweet taste of strawberries, but seeing the look of jealousy made it impossible to stop. All he could think about was how sweet revenge was.

"You're such a jerk." Ino huffed. Her blue eyes were narrowed at the boy. She wanted to wipe the triumphant smirk from his face. His lips were lightly tinted with red and moist from the strawberries. Ino's frustrated pout morphed into a devilish grin as she neared the boy. She gave him just enough time to raise his eyebrows planting her lips on his. Her tongue grazed his lips taking in the fresh strawberry taste on them. She pulled away once he opened his mouth to deepen their kiss. The kiss wasn't meant for his pleasure after all. Ino placed a finger over his lips and rubbed her bottom lip with her upper. The taste of her favorite fruit coated her taste buds.

"Yummy." She beamed. Shikamaru's smirk was handed to Ino.

"That wasn't fair." He scoffed and crossed his arms. He couldn't believe he fell for her kiss trick again. It was her go to ploy when she wanted something from him. Whether it be for her to choose the movie they watch or to getting back something he stole from her. Shikamaru was well aware of the trick by now but he still fell for it every time. He should of expected it when she had just called him a jerk.

"You stole my strawberries. I think it was plenty fair." She shot back. Ino turned on her heel and took the now strawberry-less plate to his dining table. Her eyes shot him a warning glare to not take her food away again. There was no way she'd let Shikamaru steal another delicious part of her meal. She did admit that she had never had pancakes before because her mother strongly believed in traditional Japanese meals, she would never dare to ask for a more American style breakfast. Her mom's rule was if you can't eat it with chopsticks then you can't eat it at all.

"It's your fault since you don't give me any other food." Shikamaru sniffed in response. He missed her bentos that she prepared for him during the school year. Those same bentos that sparked jealousy throughout his lunch table due to their tasty contents. Ino was an amazing cook and she knew it too. So he was annoyed that she had decided to stop cooking for him, not even a small sandwich for lunch.

"Do I look like your personal chef?" Ino questioned.

"No."

"Why should I cook for you then?" Ino continued with a raised eyebrow. Her pineapple haired boyfriend scratched the nape of his neck nervously before letting out a defeated sigh. She smirked at his lack of an answer and looked back at her breakfast. She then realized she hadn't brought a fork to actually eat with. Ino knew the Nara household well enough to know which cabinet held the silverware. She knew this from years of sleepovers and play dates.

Shikamaru used the brief moment were her back was turned for another strike of revenge. Since he failed with the strawberries he figured he'd go for another one of Ino's favorites, the mountain of whipped cream. He didn't want her to erupt like a volcano so he only swiped the top swirl off with his finger.

"Put that back." Ino ordered once she saw his finger. The smirk that he had just passed to Ino had returned on his face. Her bare feet stormed towards him and stopped short when tapped the cream onto her nose.

"Why did you do that?" Ino asked because she honestly had no clue. She wondered if he was trying to be playful or flirty. She laughed at that idea as she knew neither of those words described him.

"Because I had to stop you from coming at me like a bull." Shikamaru chuckled and locked the excess cream off his finger. Ino's face dropped in disappointment. Against her better judgement she wished he had done it for a sweeter cause. She had always wanted to have a flirty food fight. Shikamaru would never agree to that. Far to troublesome for him.

"Well you should stop stealing me food." She replied with a pout. That's how she responded to him most of the time nowadays. Ino realized they had settled into another rut. He'd say something snarky and then she'd reprimand him for it. He'd respond with even more sarcasm and her reply would be a pout. It was like they were a mixture of children and an old married couple. Ino wasn't fond of that idea in the slightest. They were both young so their love should be youthful and exciting as well. At least in her opinion. Shikamaru probably was content with their practical and predictable lifestyle.

The idea of love had been swarming Ino's mind ever since the first time Shikamaru slept next to her once she temporarily moved into his home. He always fell asleep first, no surprise there. The window in his room let the moon shine onto his face. It allowed her to study him just like that night during the blackout. His arm would always creep its way around her even if it meant their body heats only added to the summer weather. Maybe it was summer heat that brought new and confusing thoughts into her mind. Thoughts about the future and more specifically her future with Shikamaru. What if they broke up after the baby was born? What if they were to get married? What if they married other people and had kids of their own? Ino couldn't predict the future.

He was her first love. She cared for Sai, but never truly loved him. Shikamaru never had a girlfriend before Ino, so she doubted there was a love before her. That meant they only had each other to go off of. What if they weren't soul mates like Ino imagined. There was also the fact that they were in high school. For the most part they knew everyone in their class since they were children. What if their true loves were later on in their lives. Would they break up before they found their ones or would they marry each other in a not compete love? Ino hated thinking these thoughts because it felt like a betrayal. She loved Shikamaru with every ounce of her heart so why was she second guessing them?

She also wondered what part did their child have to do with their love. Would they still love each other after it is born? Or would her pregnancy be a distant memory? Ino wasn't even sure if they would be together if it weren't for the baby. Ino wouldn't have isolated Shikamaru for all that time so maybe they would've realized their feelings for each other. Would they have eventually confessed to each other or not? The possibilities were endless about what could've been.

"Hello, earth to Ino." Shikamaru muttered as he waved his hand over her face. It effectively brought Ino out of her mind. He was closer to her than she remembered and his chocolate eyes were flecked with thinly veiled concern. She figured she must've seems pretty dazed if he couldn't hide his emotions.

"Oh sorry, just thinking about something."

"I figured that much. It's just you looked upset and don't try lying to me about it." He replied. His eyes were still locked on her face, serving as his own personal lie detector. Ino knew that meant there was no point in trying to hide what she was thinking about. Knowing him she'd only have to say a few words and he would understand her completely.

"What do you think will happen to us once the pregnancy is over?" Ino asked. The moment the words came out of her mouth confusion spread across Shikamaru's face. So maybe he didn't perfectly understand what she was thinking.

"I don't understand what you're asking me Ino." He replied nonchalantly. Ino sighed, maybe a bit too vague.

"I'm asking you if we will still be together. It's what brought us together. So with it gone will we separate?" Ino rephrased. She hoped this question wasn't too vague for him to give a proper answer.

"I don't love you because I knocked you up dummy. And you're a real idiot if that made you love me." Shikamaru sniffed. Not exactly answering her question. His answer did shock her though. Did he honestly think she was that shallow?

"Of course I don't love you because of that!" She snapped immediately, before he could even blink.

"Then why are you asking me this? If I love you and you love me then why would we break up? And on that subject why are you thinking about it anyway?" Shikamaru fired back. His tone had deepened from its usual indifference. It flicked like a newly burned candle.

"Because we're in high school. Are these relationships really meant to last? You haven't even had a girlfriend besides me. And I've only ever loved you. How are we supposed to know if we truly belong together if we-" Ino began before being cut off.

"I don't need to have another girlfriend to know that you're the one. But if you don't think I'm yours then I want to know." His tone had returned to its cool demeanor. His eyes still hadn't left her own. The way he was looking at her was enough to break her heart. His face looked so hopeful but defeated at the same time. It was like he had two answers in his mind and didn't want think which was the right one.

"How can you know that? We're teenagers not wise elders."

"Because I know what I feel for you and it's one word, four letters. Starts with an L"

"But how can you know these feelings and understand them? I have so many for you that it's scary. They feel like I shouldn't have them for anyone yet, like their precious. These feelings...that I have for you, I can't even begin to understand them. It's like one of those puzzles that you have no idea where to start. And they're so different and confusing." Ino confessed like part of her would had been poured out. She fought the urge to cry. She couldn't explain why she felt that way, she was not even sad.

"I guess I can understand that." He conceded. He supposed not everyone has a genius mind to sort everything that went on his head.

"Part of me smiles and feels all warm and fuzzy when someone says your name. But then another part of me feels this overwhelming sensation that I need to protect you even though you never need it. But the part that hurts the most is this heart- wrenching feeling that if anything were to happen to you-" she continued like she hadn't heard him respond. His second response she heard loud and clear because it was the thing to cut her off.

"You'd feel like you were shattered." He finished her sentence taking the words right out of her mouth. Ino didn't have to open her mouth for him to know her question.

"I know that because I have that exact same feeling for you. I also have those other two you said, but I'd rephrase warm and fuzzy." He answered to her unasked question.

"You do?"

"Yup I get it a lot actually. Your magnetism for drama doesn't exactly help. I remember the first time I actually felt it or at least knew it was there. It was that night when you snuck out in the middle of the night. When I woke up I prayed that you were already at home, which you weren't. I didn't even wake Choji up. I just ran out the door and _you know _how much I hate running. The next thing I knew I heard the thud of your phone drop and no answer from you. There was just silence, not even a scream so that I knew you were even alive. I didn't know what was happening to you and I felt so helpless. I had never ran so fast before, everything was a blur as I ran past buildings and down streets. It didn't matter how many times I called your name, there was never an answer. And the only thought going through my head was _please don't let me lose her_. Because I would've never forgiven myself if I didn't save you. I kept thinking that over and over. I couldn't breathe and my chest felt like it was being crushed with a hundred pound weights. Then I saw you and well you know how the rest goes." Shikamaru confessed through several voice cracks. He u clenched his fists that he hadn't realized he created and saw crescent shaped marks on his palms. Even remembering that night made him feel sick. His eyes were fixed on the tile flooring of his kitchen. He tore them away from Ino once he saw her expression shift into worry.

"You shouldn't worry about me like that." Ino scolded ever so softly. Her tone matched the softness of her arms around him as she pulled him into a hug. She was speechless at his confession. She always knew he felt responsible for her safety, but she had never realized it was so extreme. It made her feel a pang of guilt in her chest.

"I think we both know that's impossible." He replied. His eyes looked down at the girl his heart belonged to, it might as well have her initials on it. He was _the one_ and he knew that for a fact. It was that same time that she looked up at him and felt the exact same way.


	24. Chapter 24

"Mama!" A high pitched voice cried. It sounded like a small child's voice. The unfamiliar sound made Ino's eyes open in a flash. Her body felt much lighter than usual as she turned in the direction of the cry. She had to hold in a surprised gasp as she came face to face with a child at her bedside. Well actually she didn't recognize the bed she was sleeping on so she wondered whose it was. But that thought wasn't nearly as strange as a kid. What was stranger was that the child was nearly the identical image of Shikamaru when he was younger. His brown shoulder length hair was a shade lighter than Shikamaru's nearly black shade and his large eyes were the color of the sky, like Ino's. Judging by his small stature and soft features Ino figured he was around four or five years old.

_Why is this kid calling me mama? I don't have a kid, well I do_ _but it's not born or anything. And why does he look like strikingly similar to Shikamaru? And has my eyes? And where the hell am I, this isn't my room or anyone else's that I know._ _There's no way that kid is mine, right? Maybe the heat is making me hallucinate. __Seriously Ino, hallucinating, like that makes sense. __Or maybe I'm dreaming. Yeah that must be it, I'm dreaming about if I keep my child. _

"Mama I had a bad dream!" The boy cried again and reached his small arms out to her. Ino's maternal instinct raged inside her and she scooped the young small child into her arms. His little hands clasped behind her neck and he brought his short legs around her waist. She snuggled him against her chest as he nestled his head into the nape of her neck. His coarse hair itched her neck and she noted that the familiar texture was identical to Shikamaru's hair. His pale blue onesie pajamas were so soft and warm against the bare skin of her hands.

_The fabric is so warm, but it's summer. And why am I wearing flannel pajamas as well. I'll practically burn in this. But I don't feel hot at all, I actually feel pretty comfortable. I'm still wondering where on earth I am since this obviously isn't Konoha. This dream just keeps getting stranger and stranger._

Ino saw through a window that snow was falling. _So that means it's winter in this dream._ She turned her attention back to child she was holding. There was no longer a baby bump protruding from her belly. _So this really is my kid. _Ino felt so protective of the tiny body, he was precious. He was her precious baby that was truly hers. _So this is what a mother feels like when she holds her child. _Ino adores the feeling. It seemed so perfectly right, like it was her only priority. Maybe it was. Ino had no idea if she had a job in this dream or if she even finished school. She judged by her child's age that she would be in her early twenties. She supposed college could've been possible, maybe their mothers watched him when she and Shikamaru went to school. Anything was possible in dreamland.

"Don't be scared. It was just a dream." Ino soothed as she stroked her child's hair. She seemed to be doing a good job since she didn't feel him crying anymore. It was then that she felt something stir on the other side of her. Ino shifted her body to face the disturbance and saw Shikamaru propping himself on his elbow. His dark eyes were only half opened as he looked at her.

"What's wrong kiddo?" He yawned, his eyes now directed at his son. His tiredness was written all over his face. Ino wondered why, but gave up after realizing there was an infinite amount of possibilities.

"I had a bad dream." The boy responded. His voice had the same whiny tone that Ino got when she was tired. Shikamaru rolled his eyes with a snort. Ino definitely hadn't expected him to react like that.

"What's your problem?" Ino questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"He's my son, we don't get bad dreams. He just wants an excuse to have you cuddle him. I still don't get how you haven't figured this out. He's been pulling this trick ever since we got him his own bed. Which was when he was _two_, now he's _four_." Shikamaru answered with his signature lazy drawl. Ino noted that his voice has lowered in this dreamworld.

Ino held her son away from her and saw his guilty smile. That didn't stop her from letting him latch onto her again. She didn't mind cuddling him after all. The way he nuzzled himself on her made her feel so satisfied. _He's so little and cute. It is a smart little trick, I guess he got his father's brains. _

"He's little of course he wants to snuggle with his mother." Ino shot back and kissed the top of the young boy's head. She understood the feeling of wanting to snuggle with your parents. Her father coddled her like there was no tomorrow and she longed to feel his arms around her just one more time.

"So do I." Shikamaru mumbled just loud enough for Ino to hear him. His lips were in a small pout as he shot her a naughty look_. For once he wants to snuggle with me, I'm beginning to like this dream._

"There's enough of me to share." Ino giggled and stretched an arm out to her boyfriend. He shot her a skeptical look, obviously doubting her plan would work. Still he sat up next to her and let her wrap an arm around him. He sighed before working an arm around Ino and the four year old. She smiled happily at him_. So this is what a family is like. I love it! _

A whiny shriek broke the perfect family moment, "You're squishing me!" Their baby glared at Shikamaru with Ino's signature pout. Taking the hint, Shikamaru moved back to his side of the bed and went back to his laying position. Ino still caught his eye roll.

"I don't share my mama." He declared and snuggled his head back into Ino's neck. Her smile only softened a little. Yes, she wished Shikamaru was cuddling her as well, but their child was enough. _I wonder what his name is? Does this mean my real baby is a boy too? Will he be this adorable? His voice is just so darn cute. Shikamaru would probably hate it though, there's too much emotion in it._

"Can't you see his little smug face? Oh come on, he's _totally_ smirking at me. The little twerp can't stand anyone else being with you. We need to teach him how to share, I want to cuddle my wife too." Shikamaru groaned. He turned away from them when their child began feeling Ino's soft tresses of blonde hair. She recognized that move as a way to mark territory. Both Sai and Shikamaru had done it when other men were around her. _So he's a possessive baby. _Ino knew Shikamaru well enough that he was sulking on the inside over losing to a four year old. But Ino has other things on her mind besides her sulky boyfriend/husband. _Wife! How old are we in this dream? Of course I want to marry him, but I think I'm only like twenty-one in this world. I guess we already have the baby part down so getting married would follow soon._

_I also guess this little baby of ours really loves to cuddle with me. I love to cuddle him too so it doesn't matter. Shikamaru seems to think otherwise. Sulking Shikamaru is pretty funny though, I have to remember to snuggle with him when I wake up._

"You should be nicer to Shi-your father. Go give him a hug." Ino ordered and loosened her arms around him. She was met by his large blue eyes staring blankly at her. He shook his head quickly. Long strands of hair fell into his eyes and Ino brushed them behind his ears.

"Give him a hug or I won't cuddle with you." She added and pointed to Shikamaru. He sat up and smirked as he waited for his son to come over. Begrudgingly their child crawled into his dad's arms and returned the gesture. Shikamaru examined a piece of the boy's hair and frowned.

"I think it's time for you to get a little trim." He said and looked at the splitting ends. He fashioned in the spiky ponytail since he was a small kid so he knew how bad splitting ends looked. Usually he was too lazy to cut them off so Ino brought it upon herself to give him a trim once they needed to be tamed.

"But then it will be too short to look like yours." The boy pouted. Shikamaru observed the hair again before replying, "If you get a little trim then I can still put your hair in a ponytail like mine. Without a trim you'll look ridiculous. And you know you does my hair?" Their son shook his head and then cocked it to the side.

"Mama." Shikamaru answered with a smirk. The young boy beamed at that answer. His eyes were practically twinkling with delight as he looked at Ino. She laughed at the pure joy on his face. _He got more of my emotions I guess. _He turned his attention back to Shikamaru who was still holding him. His baby blue eyes were drooping and he rubbed them with two tiny fists.

"You're already tired of your old man huh? Go and sleep next to mama." Shikamaru sighed and released his soft grip. The young boy proceeded to eagerly crawl across the bed to lay beside Ino. His eyes shut immediately after he curled himself inside Ino's arm wrapped around him. _He really is Shikamaru's son. _

Her hand reached to pull the thick quilt over them but Shikamaru was quicker. He pulled the warm fabric over them and Ino could see the silver band on his finger symbolizing their marriage. Ino smiled gratuitously as he positioned the quilt to cover both of them completely despite the kid's head being at Ino's chest. Once he was satisfied they would be warm enough he kissed the top of his son's head and then pecked Ino's cheek. As one last show of affection he ruffled their soft blonde and coarse brown hair. They both shot him a glare but he had already turned away from them. His low chuckle could still be heard.

"Good night mama." The boy yawned softly as he snuggled into the flannel fabric of her pajamas. His face had the same tranquility that Shikamaru's did when he slept. He breathed so softly that Ino had to make sure he was breathing at all. She wasn't sure how tight to hold him. He seemed so small and easy to break. On the other hand he was too adorable to not cuddle. Ino never wanted him to leave her arms. She didn't want to wake up from this fantasy.

_But I could make this my reality. I know that's what Shikamaru wants and I can't get the idea out of my mind. I really think we could do it. Sure juggling college and work would be hard, but we seem to be doing fine here. This place seems so real and perfect. I wouldn't be holding back Shikamaru like I thought I would. This is what he wants and always did. And maybe it was what I wanted but just refused to accept. But I accept it now. I can't give up my baby, not anymore. _

* * *

She was back in Shikamaru's bedroom. His arm was lazily draped over her baby bump and there was nothing in between them but air. Sunlight shone through his windows to tell it was morning. Shikamaru still looked completely at peace in his slumber. Ino almost felt bad about having to wake him up to tell him her decision, _almost. _

"Wake up Shikamaru!" She shouted as she shook his shoulders. She found being loud and aggressive was the easiest way for him to get up. His dark eyes were narrowed into slits at her when they opened by this however.

"I'm tired." He complained as he propped himself up on an elbow. When he saw the way Ino was beaming at him his grumpy scowl melted away. She was beautiful, everyone knew that. But the way the sun highlighted her face and made it radiant. He could get used to waking up to that face.

"Well I have something important to tell you." Ino continued a bit too cheerfully. Shikamaru wondered how she could be so perky first thing in the morning.

"You're really going to like it." She added, her lips now curved in a mischevious grin.

"Then spit it out." He replied while rolling his eyes. He hated when she tried to buildup something because it always made her surprised seem like a let down. Maybe she did that on purpose.

"I want to keep the baby." She announced, letting her grin turn into a wide smile. Shikamaru's half lidded eyes were wide awake now. At first he thought this was a dream, but everything seemed so real. He knew she was waiting for him to say something but he didn't know how to express his joy. He was always terrible with words.

"You do?" He finally choked. He needed to know for certain that she wanted this as much as he did. He always wanted this, but would have never forced Ino into it. His face lit up like a Christmas tree when she nodded in assurance.

Their baby belonged to them and no one else. He could raise his son and do whatever it was that dads did with them. He'd teach him how to play shoji and chess. Hopefully his son would acquire his genius mind so he could have an even match. He'd style his hair in the same spiky ponytail that all Nara men wear. He'd teach him how to be a perfect gentleman, or at least a decent one. He better love to sleep and be lazy as well. He would be just like his father and of course Ino would worm some of her eccentric personality into him as well.

"We're going to be parents!"


	25. Chapter 25

Parenting wasn't going to be easy by any means, they both knew that. Being teenagers only complicated the process more. They still had one more year of high school and they would need to go to college if they wanted proper jobs to raise a small child. Sure they could get by doing extra shifts of several odd jobs, but that wouldn't leave any room to take care of their child.

Their mothers already agreed to help with their child's early years. Both of them agreed a baby would keep them busy with their own children away at college and thus leaving their homes empty. Shikamaru and Ino would still attend universities at least close by so they could visit their baby on weekends. Once Shikamaru and Ino could manage the child on their own with enough financial stability then they would move out.

They'd probably start with a small apartment flat and maybe move into a real house when they had saved enough money. Shikamaru knew that would take quite a few years given student loans, new jobs, and the extra expenses of a child. Ino hated to agree with that idea even though she knew it was true. Her ideal family portrait would take more than five years to be achieved. Still it was something she could wait for.

Ino couldn't believe she was even imagining her future family that wasn't that far in the future. If you would've asked her five months ago what she had planned for the future her answer would've been drastically different. Five months ago she wanted to date Sai until senior year and they would probably split because long distance would be too hard. She would attend college and then move back to konoha to take over the family flower shop. She'd meet her true love that was probably in a successful profession and marry him when she was in her late twenties. Two years later they'd have their first child. Her family would live comfortably in the town she grew up in. That would have been her answer.

Now she already had her true love and a child was in her uterus. She couldn't imagine staying in konoha after college. Running the flowershop was something her mother planned to do all her life anyway so Ino wouldn't want to take that away from her. Maybe she could be a nurse, they only had to go to college for the usual four years and don't have to go to medical school. As for Shikamaru she had no clue what he would do. Probably and occupation that he wouldn't have to be tasked with too much to do. Maybe he could be a computer programmer since they can do their work at home. It gave a decent salary also. But only he could decide what he wanted to do.

Of course they episode need jobs while they are still in school. They could work at restaurants as waiters. Or they could be store clerks. Shikamaru could do tutoring for some extra cash. In their final year they could be bartenders. The money they earn could be used to support their child in it's first years and also could be saved for later uses. Shikamaru was surprised at how much she had already planned out to the dot. He then remembered it was just like her to do so.

As corny as it sounded he felt like he was living a dream. He was dating the girl he had been in love with for years and secretly hoped felt the same way. She was carrying his baby, sure it spawned from a careless accident but it was still theirs. The only part of his dream that was actually a nightmare was the agitated Ino. She was entirely troublesome in pretty much every aspect, but oddly he wouldn't it any other way. As more weeks passed Ino became more and more whiny about carrying the baby. She had developed back pain from the shift in Gravity. She had insane hunger cravings that she would snap about daily. She snapped at just about anything Shikamaru said to her nowadays. Sometimes it was because he made a crude remark meant for humor that she didn't approve of. Or he would be too lazy to get her something she desperately "needed", which was usually a magazine with a shirtless guy on the cover. Shikamaru wasn't sure how he felt about that one. Other times it would because he'd compliment her and she'd accuse him of lying. She did even before the pregnancy though. There was no way to win with the naggy pregnant Ino. Naturally Ino refused to let him surrender, thus the endless cycle of her barking at him and Shikamaru carefully trying to avoid upsetting her.

Still he wouldn't have her any other way. Even with the constant nagging and whining she still showed her soft side. He couldn't believe how just a few weeks ago Ino wanted to give their baby up and forced her eyes to show no emotion when she felt her baby kick. Now her baby blue eyes glistened with warmth when she felt her growing baby. Her lips would melt into a serene smile at the baby. She knew it was a boy even before Shikamaru told her, she said it was "mother's intuition". It still seems so strange that in one night her mind completely changed. She was so devoted to preparing for the baby. She'd read late into the night about parenting and what she would need to do. The idea of breastfeeding completely freaked her out until Shikamaru explained why it was necessary. Personally he was freaked about the baby screaming in the middle of the night, but knew it was unavoidable unless they had an angel baby. With their DNA that would be impossible.

They still didn't know what to name the baby. The discussed naming it after one of their fathers but decided against that idea. It seemed too forced. They argued over which prefix it would take, Shika or Ino. Shikamaru wanted to use his since he figured since the kid would take his last name, he might as well use his prefix. Ino opposed that idea using his own words against him, since their child would have his last name it should have her prefix to be fair. Shikamaru would argue that since it's a boy it should have the man of the family's prefix. Ino would disagree by saying she had her prefix even though it also belonged to her father so gender didn't matter. She also called him sexist. He scoffed at that accusation before suggesting they don't use either prefix and give the boy a name with a significant meaning. She agreed. Now that lead to picking a name with a significant meaning, which neither person had an idea.

"We could call him shoji." Shikamaru stated after several minutes of thinking. He was joking, but judging by Ino's unamused expression she didn't understand that.

"That was a joke." He quickly added.

"Daichi means grand first son, we'd let him know how amazing he is with his name." Ino suggested and looked up at the baby name book she was reading for inspiration. All the names she liked were usually feminine, which wouldn't work in their situation.

"Wouldn't that give him high expectations of himself? You know like he'd be super cocky and pompous." He questioned in return. Ino frowned at that thought. Onto the next name, she thought. She flipped through several more pages and scanned each name and meaning with unwavering concentration. Shikamaru couldn't focus on thinking up names because his refused to budge from Ino. He decided the amount of beauty she possessed was criminal. Her lashes were dangerously long and lush. Her pale blue eyes were the bluest in their entire town. Her platinum hair was so glossy and soft that he had to resist the urge to run his fingers through it. Her skin looked like it was kissed by the moon, it was so pale and luminous. Blemishes didn't dare to graze her face. Her pink lips were just the right size and had just the right amont of fullness.

Shikamaru always felt insecure next to her with his average looks. If she was ten then he would be a five. He obviously wasn't attractive or intimidating enough to get men to quit leering at her. Sometimes he felt disgusted with his own gender due to how lusted after women, even when they were on the arm of another man. He didn't have to worry about that problem as baby bumps might as well be horny men repellent. Once it was gone though Shikamaru knew men wouldn't be able to take their eyes off her. If he couldn't, and he was tamer than most teenage boys, then how could they not?

"What about Hikaru, that means shining brilliance right? Or something like that. He will be super smart since you're his dad so it makes sense." She then suggested suddenly successfully snapping Shikamaru out of his trance.

"Again that will give him a big head, we don't want our kid to think he's better than everyone else." Shikamaru objected with a yawn.

"Well I want him to be confident." She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. She felt like she was the only one engaged in this conversation, Shikamaru hasn't suggested a single name. All he did was shoot her's down. It was frustrating for the blonde.

"There's a difference between confident and cocky." Shikamaru yawned.

"Fine then you come up with a name for once." Ino snapped and turned her back on him. Shikamaru sighed at the fact that he had upset her. It happened more often than not recently. It was always easy to irk her even without the added hormones. He still hated seeing her out of her usual enthusiastic state. He definitely preferred her to be overly perky than brooding.

"Sora means sky doesn't it?" He asked. He couldn't recall the meanings to many names, but he was pretty sure he was correct. He could here Ino flipping the pages trying to see if he was right. He knew she wanted him to wrong because one of her favorite things to do was to prove the genius wrong.

"It does, why do you want to name it that?"

"Well we both love the sky. I watch clouds and you star gaze." He answered cautiously. He could tell by her sharp tone that she was still mad at him. Still she turned back to face him with a defeated expression. Shikamaru fought the smirk that was begging to form.

"That's actually kind of brilliant." Ino replied with a heavy sigh.

"So you like it?" Shikamaru inquired smugly, the smirk was now plastered on his face.

"Shut up."


	26. Chapter 26

"Just a few more weeks to go." Shikamaru assured the pregnant Ino. She has just entered the third and final trimester of her pregnancy. He had already researched what would plague her in the final weeks. Her back pains would worsen, he decided her number of complaints about that would double. The baby bump would only keep getting larger and heavier. Her complaints on that would probably triple. Occasional contractions would occur and those apparently hurt more than the baby kicking. Shikamaru cringed at how he imagined she would react. He assumed it would go along the lines of her wincing and yelling in loan, followed by her scolding the unborn child, then she'd loudly whine about it for a solid few minutes, and then would finish by saying Shikamaru sucked and that she hated him for impregnating her in the first place. That's what she did whenever their baby kicked a little too hard for her liking.

"He's due in November, it's the beginning of August. That's more than a few weeks!" Ino snapped at him. She was ecstatic about the fact that her pregnancy was nearing its resolution. There were still three months of hell to endure but Ino knew it would be worth it in the end. She wondered how their baby would feel when she first held it. Who would it resemble more? How big would it be? Her baby bump had grown yet again and was settling against her rib cage. Her mother told her this was common in the third trimester as the baby was developing its size. It still caused her breaths to feel ever so thinned. It was nothing she could deal with as the yoga she did helped ease her breathing. Her mother had recommended lighter exercise as she was nearing the due date, yoga seemed like the perfect fit.

The calming activity didn't do much to ease the short-tempered blonde however. How could it when there was so much for her to complain about? The bump was heavy and made her back sore. Her face was fuller and Ino despised that. Shikamaru would scoff at her vanity despite the fact her belly was much fuller. She had to buy all new bras since she had gone up an unwanted cup size. Her mother also explained that was perfectly normal, Ino still found it troublesome. The baby kicked harder than before and more frequently. She couldn't muster up the words to call it a bastard baby anymore, but she certainly found him to be an annoyance.

"It will all be worth it in the end." Shikamaru sighed contently. He didn't have to hide his joy about the baby from Ino anymore. He didn't have to lie to himself about wanting to keep the little baby. He imagined holding the tiny baby in his arms for the first time. He would feel so precious and easy to break. His hand would be so small that it could probably go around Shikamaru's thumb. Brown hair and eyes were dominant over blue eyes and blonde hair, but Shikamaru had a feeling Ino would work her physical traits into their child. Hopefully the baby would inherit Shikamaru's love of sleep so he wouldn't be so dificult. There was still the chance that Ino's lively personality would make their baby despise sleep. That would be a nightmare, Shikamaru decided.

Ino would want to cuddle him constantly while also bossing him around like she did to Shikamaru. One night she'd be the mother every other child secretly wished they had and on another she'd be like Yoshino. Shikamaru knew that was certain. Still he guessed their child would be attached to her hip. He figured that because Ino was the definition of a daddy's girl when she was little. Shikamaru feared his mother more than anything else so he never felt the need be near her at all times. He assumed Ino's dominant personality would still take over in that aspect.

"Yeah I know." Ino replied and rested her hand over the unborn baby. It was strange how much love she for it. She'd whisper "I love you" to it before she went to sleep. Her mind always went back to the dream she had and a smile formed on her face each time. The feeling was mutual for Shikamaru as well. He'd kiss her stomach each night. She'd catch him humming nursery rhymes when he thought she was out of earshot. He has already bought a small plush deer for the child. Ino herself had bought a plush pig. It would be like they were combining their too families.

"I wish we could skip senior year and college so we can just be parents." Shikamaru stated. School was already a very troublesome ordeal for him. Now that it would get in the way of spending time with his son he despised it more. He knew it was necessary, but that didn't change his feelings on the matter.

Ino on the other hand was terrified of going back to school. Once senior year was over she would be fine, but that meant getting through it in the first place. She was thankful she didn't start showing until junior year was over, but she barely made it. If it had been another week than she knew suspicions would rise. Now her bump was prominent and no lie could be told about it. The thought of walking into school felt like something out of a nightmare. She wouldn't be able to escape the judgmental looks. Insults would be mumbled under her classmates' breaths and some would be targeted for her loud and clear. People would no longer part like the Red Sea when she was in the hallway, now she'd have to fight her way against the current of students.

She'd be on the lowest level of the popularity pyramid. Her queen B status would be shattered as soon as she stepped into the school. Her clueless peers would gasp at her protruding belly before turning away from her. Strangers would snicker as they passed her. Her "friends" would all be ready to take over former position. Looks of disappointment would be apparent on her teachers' faces as she took her seat. Hopefully they would put her in the back of the classroom so she could try and fade into the background.

Everyting she worked for since she was too young to even realize she was popular would be destroyed in a single day. Not even a day at that. It would just take one loud mouth to spread the gossip and in an hour the entire student body would know she was pregnant. Her reign of popularity would be a distant memory. Not even the unpopular kids would want her in their friend group. Even after the baby was born, no one would accept her back into popularity. This year would be miserable.

"It won't be that bad Ino." Shikamaru assured, reading her mind. It only took one glance at her distraught face to know what she was thinking. Shikamaru hated the idea of her being scared of going to school. She had always loved school and it was her personal paradise.

"For you maybe. You're not the one with the kid in your belly." Ino scoffed. He frowned at that. It was true that Ino would deal with more hell than he would. It made him feel helpless, and he despised that feeling.

"I helped put it in there. I wouldn't be surprised if someone stuffs condoms in my locker." Shikamaru replied with a deeper frown.

"But I have so much more to lose than you do. No offense. Everyone is going to judge me and I'm positive they're not going to be quiet about it." She huffed miserably. Her head was now situated in her hands as she stared at the vast sky above her. There was a light breeze in the air that made the August heat bearable enough to be outside.

"Then don't listen to them."

"It's not going to be that easy. Girls are like vultures and boys are just plain rude." Ino retorted with a roll of her eyes.

"If someone has a problem with you then they can take it up with me. I'll walk you to all your classes if I have to." He shot back and met her eyes. It was moments like this that he felt extremely protective over his girl. The idea of some jerks putting her down or hurting her made his usual calm demeanor vanish. It was the one thing that made him snap, well he supposed he used to be very protective of his best friend Choji as well, but it was never as strong as with Ino. Choji would joke and say that's why Ino could never get a boyfriend since Shikamaru acted like he was her ex. A very present and protective ex at that. His voice lost its lazy monotone, his eyes glared so deeply that they could cut through glass, and although punches were rare for him, when needed they were thrown.

"You don't have to do that. It will probably make you more of a target." Ino objected but still smiled at the gesture. Even if she scolded him for being overprotective of her at times, she was still thankful for him always being there for her.

"I know and I don't care. We'll both have bulls eyes on our backs. Yours is big and neon. If I can take some of that away from you and onto me than I don't see the problem. It would equal us out, just like the way we like it." he replied and brought Ino down next to him on the lush grass.

"Aw you're so sweet." Ino giggled with a bright smile. His arm wrapped around her shoulders and he pulled her closer. Her baby blue eyes were twinkling as he nuzzled his nose against hers. Her lips pressed against his and melted into the kiss. Her soft lips parted and allowed Shikamaru to deepen the kiss. It seemed both innocent and passionate. Ino figured it was hard to have a true make out session when there was baby in between them. She still loved the feeling how their lips fit together like puzzle pieces and each one felt special without having to go too deep.

"I can't wait to do this when my belly isn't huge." Ino said with her eyes twinkling with mischief. It made her wonder when they would have sex again. Their first time led to a baby, so they learned their lesson. They had never discussed it after that and it settled in the back of Ino's mind. She wondered if it would be magical like everyone said it was.

She honestly still wasn't sure why they had sex in the first place. Maybe she would never know. They knew it would've ruined their friendship, but they took the chance anyway. But it brought them closer and made them realize their true feelings for each other. They were having a baby that they both loved and were ready to parent. It was like that night was when they truly began. For that all the regrets she had about that night had vanished.


	27. Chapter 27

_Beep beep be-_. The ringing of Ino's alarm clock was halted by her slamming the snooze button. A wave of anxiety washed over her as she realized it was her first day of school. She wasn't ready for it in the slightest. Maybe if she begged her mother she would let her stay home. Homeschooling would be preferred but Ino knew that would never happen. Ino pulled the thin sheets of her bed over her face to create a barrier between her and the day. How could anyone be prepared to be ridiculed? She loved her baby, but not the judgment it brought upon her. The looks and the words were horrible to think about, actually having to experience them would be unbearable.

_Beep. _ Ino's hand swiped the clock of her end table to seize the irritating noise. No one could get her out of this bed and into that school. The school that would no longer accept her and would cause her own personal misery. The sound of footsteps coming up her stairs made her cringe, it was time to be stubborn. The footsteps were heavier than her mother's which Ino found strange but refused to move out of her bed. If she stayed in bed than she would not have to go to school, it seemed like a perfect plan.

Her door opened and she recognized who the footsteps belonged to. Shikamaru Nara. You've got to be kidding me, Ino thought.

"I'm sick." Ino stated as sickly as she could. Maybe he was so sleep deprived that he would believe her.

"How convenient." He yawned and pulled the sheet off her face. He rolled his eyes when he saw her still in her pajamas with a less than convincing pout. He still frowned at her blue eyes that weren't twinkling in excitement. Her pink lips weren't smiling cheerfully. It was like her entire appearance was just as defeated as she was. Save for the fact that her skin was had that pregnancy glow that made it as fresh as a dewdrop.

"I don't want to go." She whined and buried herself yet again in the sheet.

"Troublesome girl." He groaned and grabbed the entire sheet before tossing it aside. Ino's dark glare didn't faze him. Her eyes scanned him and saw he was already fully dressed in his uniform. She wondered when he has woken up.

"Why are you here anyway?" Ino asked curiously with an eyebrow raised. He had always hated school and found it to be troublesome. Why was he the one encouraging her to go?

"Because you have to go to school. You know since it's a law and all." He replied. His voice was dripping and his eyelids were heavy with fatigue. Shikamaru's feet carried him across Ino's repaired bedroom and to her closet. Her school uniform was hanging in the back of it. Ino hid it there for a flimsy excuse that she lost her uniform so there for she couldn't go to school. Shikamaru still found it with ease and tossed it onto her bed.

"Why couldn't my mom just let me homeschool myself and just tell everyone I'm at boarding school. Or she could've dumped me off at my grandfather's house until this baby is born. I think those options were perfectly fair...cheaper than tuition." Ino complained in her own sleep deprived tone. She knew her mother loved to save money and with a baby due in three months they could use all the extra money. Of course there was also the fact that Ino wouldn't have to face her peers, which was a bonus.

"Because you don't need to do those things. Once the baby is born then new drama will take over and everyone will forget you were even pregnant. It'll only be three months." Shikamaru answered. He had borrowed some of Ino's optimism to assure her. He dint know if that would be the case, but he sure hoped so.

"And what if you're wrong and I'll be shamed for the entire school year. And no one is going to forget. I'll probably be a legend as the first teen pregnancy in this entire village!" Ino snapped back. Konoha was the definition of prestigious. No one was even allowed to make mistakes without being judged by the entire village. Gossip spread like wildfire and everyone knew everyone. She'd be a mockery for spoiling it's perfect image.

"Worst case is they don't let you liked it down and you endure one more year. Then you go to college away from here. It's not like we were planning on living in this village forever." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Arguing with Ino was not how he planned on starting his first day at school.

Reluctancy Ino slipped on her now larger school uniform and frowned at her reflection. Not only did she look bigger but anyone could tell she was pregnant. No doubt about it. Her hair want as shiny as she pulled it into her high ponytail. She had that pregnancy glow everyone talks about so she didn't need makeup. That was the only upside Ino could think of at the moment.

"I guess this is really happening." Ino grumbled as she shuffled her feet to her doorway. Shikamaru nodded tiredly and followed her. When Ino had reached the bottom floor she saw her mother had already made breakfast for her.

"Don't look so gloomy it'll just give them more fuel." scolded as she inspected Ino's miserable expression. They'll just mock me anyway, Ino thought. She didn't see the point in faking a smile since she knew it would be gone by first period. Her entire body felt numb at just the thought of how her peers would devour her confidence.

"What's the point?" Ino mumbled under her breath. Shikamaru frowned at how defeated she was. She was always overly perky and enthusiastic. Not even his apathetic nature could dim her brightness. Seeing her look miserable made her seem like a completely different person. A person Shikamaru didn't like.

Her mother seemed just as defeated at trying to persuade Ino to think otherwise. Ino's stubborn nature refused to believe that she wouldn't be treated as poorly as she thought. There was no way to sway her mind. Both her mother and Shikamaru knew that.

Ino miserably picked at her plate of food, her appetite had disappeared at the thought of this day. She knew her baby needed the food so she forced herself to swallow half of it. That would have to do, she thought.

"Choji should be picking us up soon." Shikamaru stated after examining his watch. It was a birthday gift from Ino last year. She hoped it would give him some motivation to stop being tardy for everything. She was too optimistic on that idea.

He assumed Ino wouldn't want to walk to school and get even more looks of disdain than she already thought she would. So he asked Choj to drive them to their high school. It didn't take any persuasion on his part for Choji to agree. Their plump friend would do anything for them.

Ino did feel an ounce of weight come off her shoulders. At least she didn't have to have villagers scorning her with their vulture-like eyes. They could do that behind her back, she knew they would. She did not have to think about it as much that way. She could focus on the judgment people would tell her to her face. In the harshest way possible naturally.

"That's nice of him." Ino replied with a halfhearted smile. It was hard to truly smile with everything going on around her. She still appreciated the gesture more than she could express.

Shikamaru's version of "soon" was actually six minutes. Ino had just finished brushing her teeth when her doorbell rang. She was greeted by Choji's large arms pulling into one of his signature comforting hugs. Other than Shikamaru he would be one of the only people to treat her the same as before. Naruto and Kiba might as well. Her supposed best friend Sakura might not even stand by her. The pink haired girl did have a habit of choosing boys and popularity over their friendship. With Ino's throne of popularity about to vacant, she wouldn't be surprised is Sakura took her spot.

"You ready?" Choji asked after he released her.

"No, but I have to get this over with." She replied with a weak smile. She would never be ready. Running away wasn't an option however. Besides Ino Yamanaka was not the type of girl to avoid her problems. This problem would be impossible to avoid anyway.

Both boys offered her a sympathetic look before Shikamaru laced his fingers with hers and led her out the front door. Choji held the door open for both of them , allowing them to sit by each other. He drove slower than his usual pace so Ino could have a few extra moments of peace before being thrown into chaos.

The sight they saw when he drove up to the courtyard was something none of them expected. Students were bunched together in a tight ring that was impossible to see through. Their shouting was inaudible from inside his car. Their backs were turned to them but Ino still felt a wave of panic at the thought that they already knew her secret. Shikamaru only needed one glance at her to know what was going on in her head.

"Relax Ino it could be anything." He assured. He prayed his statement was correct. His heart melted when he saw the tears clinging to soft blue eyes. He shot a look at Choji to figure out what was going on. He silently complied and made his way to the crowd of students.

They were all absorbed in the unseen situation. The students in the back were trying to find a way to see what was going on. Choji was one of those people.

"What's going on?" He finally asked after his efforts were in vain. It took a few tries to get an answer, but it was certainly one he didn't expect.

"Sai just confessed to being a complete bastard to Ino when they were dating. He never hit her, but did some other terrible stuff. Apparently he forced kisses on her, taunted her, and kept her away from her friends. No wonder she dumped him for Shikamaru." One classmate stated with a heavy scowl. Well that a lie, at least somewhat. Why would he confess to that anyway? He might as well told the whole truth if he wanted to seem like a bastard. He did all those things _after_ he found out she cheated on him and got pregnant. No one was going to eat him out about it so the confession made no sense. Also judging by all the appalled students Choji guessed they didn't know their idol was pregnant yet. It made him wonder what they were doing to him inside the ring. He didn't have to think too hard because teachers were coming out to stop the commotion. Choji took that as his chance to get Ino in the building without them noticing.

Shikamaru took Choji's thumbs up and frantic pointing to the building that this was their cue to hurry into the building. So they did just that. The crowd still wasn't disbanded by the time they got into the main hall.

"What's going on out there?" Ino asked curiously.

"Sai told everyone what he did to you. But he said he did it when you two were still dating and that's why you broke up with him. He never even mentioned you cheated on him." Choji explained. He was still as confused by it. Shikamaru and Ino wore the same surprised expression.

"Why would he do that?" Ino wondered out loud. She assumed Sai would never want anyone to know what he did. Why would he leave the reason what he did all those things?

"Maybe he really does feel bad about what he did and this is how he's getting his punishment." Shikamaru suggested with a frown. He stil hated the guy and there was nothing that could be done to change that.

"But why did he add lies to it? Why didn't he reveal our secret, everyone is going to know it by the end of today." Ino inquired. She knew it was futile since Sai would be the only one to answer her questions. And she didn't plan on ever talking to him again. Boys had the same thought.

They didn't have time to dwell on Sai's motives because now all their peers were entering the building. That feeling of panic resurfaced and Ino pulled Shikamaru in the direction of her first class. He wasn't in it but he still offered to walk her to it, well he offered to walk her to all her classes since they were all in close enough proximity to his. It was an offer Ino couldn't refuse.

"You'll be fine." He tried to assure as her feet worked overtime to get her to class before anyone else. He knew he was doing a terrible job at comforting. But his genius mind couldn't formulate anything to say.

"No I won't." She snapped back. Her eyes were still directed at the hallway they were marching in. Her blonde ponytail moved back and forth on an endless repeat as their long legs moved them through the corridors. Her pace was making his calves ache and his lazy bones were screaming for him to stop.

Once he decided this pace was not going to work for him he tugged her arm back, successfully halting her. Before she could start walking again he grabbed her other hand and held them close to him.

"You'll be fine because you're Ino Yamanaka. You're confident, strong, smart, loyal, compassionate, beautiful, friendly, honest, perky, sexy, sweet, and if anyone puts the fact that you're pregnant over those traits then they aren't worth crying over." Shikamaru said. He released her hands in favor of cupping her cheeks and kissing her lips. His words were so sincere that Ino hoped she could still believe them by the end of the day. Maybe just maybe she could handle it.


	28. Chapter 28

"You should get to class." Ino told her boyfriend. Her eyes hadn't left him since they reached the door of her first period classroom. Students flooded the halls and Ino was positive their eyes were focused on her. More specifically her baby bump. Shikamaru was just tall enough to block their judgmental glances from her view. She couldn't bear to see them. Still even with her vision blocked, her ears weren't. Ino caught every gasp of surprise and all the hushed whispers of disbelief. She heard when she was called a slut. Shikamaru heard everything too. His ears picked up his own fair share of insults. He never cared what other people said about him since it would be too troublesome. He still did not understand how people like Ino could get upset over a few negative words.

"Are you sure? There's still a minute until class starts." Shikamaru questioned. He wanted to make her feel as comfortable as possible for as long as possible. The idea of leaving her alone made him uneasy. He could see more and more fear creeping into her eyes as each minute passed. Trying to calm her was futile with everything that had tormented her mind being thrown at her all at once. It made him wish people targeted him more than her. He supposed the fact that the baby bump was on her and not him was the reason. It still wasn't fair in the slightest.

"Your class is all the way down the hall. I'm not going to let you be late on your first day of school." Ino answered. Her voice had retrieved its bossy tone, which for the first time Shikamaru was glad for. It made her seem at least a bit happier bossing him around. It was troublesome but worth it.

"Well alright if you're sure." He replied skeptically. His dark eyes inspected the blonde to see how much she was lying. He knew she was lying since her uneasiness was written all over her face. Her already big blue eyes were slightly widened even more. Her lips were in a stiff, weak smile. On the inside she was probably on the verge of a panic attack. It made his stomach drop. He had to think quickly as time was running out. He quickly kissed her temple after adding, "I love you."

Then without a second glance he turned in the direction of his classroom and began walking down the hall. He couldn't look at her saddened eyes because he knew Thre was no way he would leave her side if he did. He already felt conflicted enough for leaving her, the least she could've done was plaster a fake smile on her face to give him false relief. Even so he knew he couldn't do anything about it. He hated that. He only turned back once he had reached his classroom but saw she had already gone into hers.

The bell rang just as he sank into his assigned seat. He was in the front row, he inwardly complained about that. He was _always_ in the back. That way he could blend in and sleep. Sometimes he would be especially lucky and have taller people around him so sleeping would be even easier. He hoped his teacher would be kind enough to change their seats later in the year. That would probably happen, right? At least he figured his day couldn't get any worse, nothing could be worse than sitting in the front.

"Hey Shikamaru." A voice with even less emotion then Shikamaru's greeted from next to him. His eyes widened in disbelief. He immediately recognized as the exact person he never wanted to have in any of his classes. Sai. Well this just went from bad to worse, Shikmaru thought. Now he had to be in school away from Ino since they had no classes together, in the front row, _and_ he had to sit next to a man he despised. Seriously was his luck really this low? His internal complaints just tripled.

"Did you know our teacher is Gaara's older sister? She just graduated from college." Sai continued in an effort to make small talk. Shikamaru continued to ignore the artist that he felt the need to strangle. He recognized the name of the student Sai was talking about, but had never really known the guy. Why should he care.

"He says she's really strict." Sai continued. Either he's extremely oblivious or he's purposefully trying to annoy me, Shikamaru thought. The idea of a strict woman teaching him did scare him. If this woman were anything like his mother than he'd be screwed with a capital "S". He might as well add that to his list of misfortunes.

"You don't have to be so rude. I did help your girlfriend after all." Sai stated. That made Shikamaru snap his head at the raven haired boy. If he was trying to provoke him then it was certainly working. Of all the things Sai did to her, helping wasn't one of them. Even Sai mentioning Ino made Shikamaru pissed. What did he do to help her?

"What did you do?" He questioned. His voice was dangerously low. He didn't care of they were in a classroom with their teacher about to walk in any minute. If he did anything to Ino then he'd pay for it.

"The whole school knows, surely you do too. I told everyone what I did to her and I even kindly left out the whole cheating on me bit. Very selfless if you ask me." Sai answered. Shikamaru couldn't detect any smugness in his tone oddly. In fact it actually seemed like he was telling the truth. Shikamaru had been wondering why he did that in the first place. It seemed so odd, especially the timing.

"How exactly did that help her?"

"You're a genius shouldn't you have figured that out?" Sai answered without actually answering anything. Before Shikamaru could question him further their teacher walked in. She definitely looked like she was fresh out of college. Her face was only a bit more mature than the girls his age. Her sandy blonde hair was pulled up in two ponytails, that style had become more popular according to Ino. A thin stripe of black eyeliner outlined her green eyes making them look more adult like. At least Shikamaru thought it made them look more like an adults.

Those same green eyes scanned over the classroom and she exhaled a heavy sigh. Half the boys were ogling the fair amount cleavage her black v-neck shirt gave her. The other half were talking to each other and completely ignoring her. The girls all looked like they couldn't care less about the class in general. She never wanted to be a teacher, she wanted to be a politician. But college was pricey and she needed to get a practical job and not waste time in more costly classes. So she figured if she couldn't be in politics than she would teach it. Of course no one plus hire a twenty one year old with nothing on her resume for such a class. Instead she was offered a history class in this village three days away from hers. Well it was better than nothing.

"Looks like I'm your teacher. I'm Temari but you'll call me Temari-sensei. Got it?" She introduced. Her voice was low and husky for a girls Shikamaru observed. Judging by her expression she was a down to business type of girl. Bossy and demanding too. Shikamaru felt his luck getting thinner and thinner.

"Gaara described her pretty well." Sai mumbled under his breath. Temari's eyes narrowed at the artist but said nothing. She didn't see the point. Judging by his nervous expression he did though.

"So I don't know how your other teachers are like, but I'm pretty sure I'm tougher than all of them combined. I have a bunch of detentions and I will give them out. No talking, doodling, whining, or _sleeping_." She continued. Her eyes were focused on Shikamaru's half lidded ones. He inwardly groaned. Now his complaints had quadrupled.

In one hour he already had to be helpless in Ino's struggle against her peers, he was seated in the front row, Sai was next to him, their teacher was already getting on his nerves, and to top everything off his beloved sleep during first period was now a distant memory. Honestly just kill him.

* * *

The rest of first period was boring and sleep worthy, if only that was allowed. He found himself staring at the clock and counting every passing minute. He was ready to get out of this hell and meet Ino, who he hoped was having better luck than him. He especially wanted to get to her before anyone that could upset her did. So when the bell rang his lazy and half asleep legs were out the door before anyone else. He saw her come out of her classroom with her head hung low. A sympathetic smile formed on his lips as he neared her.

"How was it?" He asked tentatively when he reached her. He laced his fingers through hers to try an comfort.

"Well no one said anything to me." She shrugged and began walking down the hall to her next class.

"That's good right?" He asked and matched her step so he could walk beside her. Shikamaru still hadn't gotten a good look of her face and her voice was empty of any emotion. He knew that was a bad sign.

"Well no one _said_ anything to me." She repeated, this time Shikamaru understood what she truly meant. He knew being ignored was crushing for her. She thrived off her friends and all the love she received she always have back to everyone. That's why she was so popular. There was also her fierce personality that no one wanted to cross. People respected and trusted her. She was a role model for underclass men. Negative words were only spouted about her on Opposite Day. Now that was all gone His heart hurt for her. He wanted to grab her and take her out of school, she would surely love that. But it wasn't that simple. She couldn't run away from this and even if she did it would just give their peers more things to ridicule her about.

"How about you? What was your class like?" Ino asked trying to change the subject.

"Well I'm in the front row," he began. She lightly gasped, she knew how much he despised the front row. Now she was giving him the sympathetic smile.

"It gets worse, Sai's next to me." He continued with a heavy scowl. Her gasp was a little louder than previously. She also knew the level of hatred he held for Sai.

"Well it couldn't get much worse than that." She replied with a hollow laugh. She felt guilty for letting his misfortunes humor her. So far it was the only thing to even come close to brightening her day. When he shook his head her eyes widened in disbelief. Maybe all his years of luck were catching up to him.

"My teacher is like you and my mother combined. And I can't sleep in there either." He whined. He didn't like complaining to Ino especially with everything she was going through, but the smile on her face made him continue. If his poor luck was making her feel any better than he had no problem with it.

"Aw Shika." Ino said in a sympathetic tone. His situation was so ironic for a guy like him that it was humorous. She wouldn't tell him that. She still pitied him since she knew that class was something out of a nightmare for him.

Now they were in front of her classroom. This was a science class which meant there were no desks. Only tables for pairs of two. No one would want to sit next to her, she was positive of that. Maybe Choji or Naruto would be in her class. She knew one of them would be kind to her.

"What's the matter?" Shikamaru asked after seeing her miserable expression. Her sad eyes were fully focused on the door in front of them.

"It's nothing." She shrugged and pulled her hand out of his. Before she could hear his protests she was in the dreaded classroom. She didn't want him to worry about her more than he already did.

Her classroom was mostly full save for a few tables with only one occupant. She could tell by their looks that she was not welcome to sit next to them. She cursed at how stupid she must've looked standing in front of the door hopelessly. Their eyes were tearing her apart. Some were filled with disappointment, some filled with a twisted joy over her predicament, others were just filled with scorn. There was no eyes filled with acceptance.

"You can sit next to me." A girl with glasses and messy red hair shouted from across the room. Ino had never seen that girl before. Still she decided there was no better option so she took her seat next to the mystery girl.

"I'm Karin, you're Ino right?" She said once Ino had taken her seat. At first Ino wondered how she knew that, but judging by her new reputation it didn't seem too odd. Ino simply nodded.

"You don't have to seem so mopey. This wasn't a pity invite." Karin continued with a roll of her eyes.

"It wasn't?"

"Nope. I'm the new girl and you're the pregnant girl. No one wants to sit next to either of us so we're stuck with each other. Besides I don't care if you have a kid in you." Karin answered with shrug. Ino couldn't help the smile that formed on her face. It was a nice change from last period. It almost brought bac some of her confidence. Maybe if this girl could accept her than so could others. She would just have to wait and see how the rest of the day went.


	29. Chapter 29

The wait for Shikamaru gave Ino approximately two minutes to absorb the conversations around her. All of which involved her pregnancy. Currently she was eavesdropping on a conversation between her frenemy Sakura and another one of their friends Hinata.

"Can you believe Ino's p-pregnant?" Hinata asked in her usual quiet voice. Ino had to strain her ears to hear. She could tell by her tone that the timid girl was shocked. Everyone in the school was shocked for that matter.

"A little. I mean her usual attire was a crop top and a skirt. Not exactly modest. And she was always trying to get boys' attention, even when she was dating Sai. Maybe she was putting out back to them." Sakura shrugged. Disapproval filled her emerald green eyes. Ino could've almost slapped the pink haired girl. Wasn't she supposed to be her best friend? Ino knew better to rely on her emotional support, but was all that necessary. So what if she wore somewhat revealing clothes, Sakura was probably jealous that she couldn't pull them off. She was always faithful to Sai, well except for the whole mess that was erupting her. She had more decency to sleep around with men, her "best friend" should've known that. Honestly it made Ino realize who her true friends were, and there weren't many.

"Ino w-wouldn't d-do that." Hinata objected. She still stuttered it which made Ino's confidence in the girl falter. Then again Hinata stuttered over all her sentences, it was just her nature.

"Obviously she slept with someone." Sakura replied with a smug grin. She probably knew Ino was listening in on them.

"It was Shikamaru. They've known each other their w-whole lives. She didn't sleep with just someone." Hinata replied more confidently than before. Only one stutter, it was an improvement.

"How do you know it was him. Neither of them have been saying anything about it." Sakura shot back with an eyebrow raised. She had Ino there. Both her and Shikamaru had been silent about their whole situation. No questions were answered and no statements were made.

A light tap on her shoulder made her focus on the conversation falter. She turned her head to the side despite knowing who it was. Shikamaru rose an eyebrow at her strange behavior. He had known her since they were babies and hiding behind lockers and eavesdropping wasn't something she usually did.

"How was third period?" He asked cautiously. He assumed he'd recieve a similar answer to the ones Ino gave him about her past two periods. First period was no one talked to her. Second period one girl was nice to her but everyone else ignored.

"Same as first." Ino shrugged. It was like she relived her first period except she was more awake to hear the gossip behind her. Again nobody said a word to her the entire class period. At least that Karin girl talked to her during second period. People still gossiped about her in hushed whispers behind her back. Her eyes were focused on the front of the classroom so she wouldn't have to see their looks. She supposed being ignored was better than being bombarded with insults. In that aspect it didn't bother nearly as much as she thought it would.

"It's not really as bad as I thought." She quickly added after seeing his lips turn downwards into a frown. He allowed his frown to lift after seeing her offer him a fake smile. Anyone could tell it was fake. It wasn't as wide or bright, her eyes didn't light up like the usually did, no cheerful saying or laughter followed, her body language was tense and closed off, and the only reason the false grin was plastered on her face was to convince Shikamaru knew for certain was untrue. He only lifted his frown because she knew it would make her feel some sort satisfaction. That was all he could give her.

"That's good to hear." He replied in his usual monotone. Before he could reach out to hold her hand she laced both of hers around his arm. He said nothing at the bizarre action. If it made her happy then he wouldn't ruin it for her. On any other day he would've but not on this particular day. Holding hands was his pda limit, even the light temple kiss he gave her earlier was out of his comfort zone. Ino knew this better than anyone so why was she getting so affectionate? Normally she was an extremely affectionate girlfriend, just not in public. It was an unspoken agreement they had, all "romantic" moments were kept between the two of them in private.

"So how was your third period?" Ino questioned as they continued walking down towards her classroom. His arm was tense but her grip remained the same. Any doubts their peers had about them needed to vanish. She wanted people to know he was the father without actually having to say it. She figured it would have to be his choice.

"Boring." He sighed in response. The class overall was perfectly uneventful, something he appreciated. No one bothered him over impregnating her. Kiba was in his class so he had someone to talk to. The teacher seemed laid back enough and his seat was close enough to the back. Shino, one of the tallest boys in the grade, sat in front of him. Shikamaru was content with that arraignment since sleeping wouldn't be too hard to accomplish. He wouldn't tell Ino this since he wouldn't want to rub his good luck in her face. Any other day he would've said it any chance he got just to annoy her. There were many things Shikamaru would've done if their circumstances were different but that wasn't the case. So he bit his tongue to make her day slightly more enjoyable.

"You think all classes are boring." She scoffed with a teasing roll of her eyes. Shikamaru could only wonder what was keeping her from falling apart. Her nightmare was now a reality and she was teasing him like normal. In fact she didn't let her misery show to anyone. She wore her emotions on her sleeve so Shikamaru had no clue how she was concealing then so well. To call her behavior strange was an understatement.

"Well they are."

"You could try to have fun in them." Ino replied with a teasing eyebrow raise. Something is definitely wrong with, Shikamaru thought. He'd press the issue more once the school day was over in case it would upset her.

"Oh we just passed my class, see ya Shikamaru!" Ino stated suddenly. She unmatched herself from his arm and went into her classroom before he could offer her a goodbye. He scratched his head trying to get to figure what on earth was going on with his girlfriend.

* * *

Ino sat in her seat completely miserable with her surroundings. Well a maybe not miserable, but extremely agitated. Her first three periods seemed like paradise compared to this. Her teacher shot her the nastiest look yet, she already hated the woman. Honestly she acted like she was still in high school, maybe that's why she had five pounds of makeup caked on her face in an effort to look younger. The guy next to her was spouting out pregnancy puns and jokes by the gallon. She had two girls behind her pestering her for sex advice. Ino wasn't sure if they were trying to embarrass her or if they actually needed it. Either way she despised both of them. One person "accidentally" dropped a condom on her desk.

"Wouldn't want to get my girl pregnant." He smirked and shoved it back into his pocket. Another time a girl blatantly held a condom in front of her. Ino wondered why she was the one being scrutinized for having sex when all these other people had condoms _in their pockets_. Her normal blunt self would've called them out on it, but she wasn't her usual blunt self today.

"I bet you don't know what this is." She sneered. Ino wanted something witty to reply with but her was mouth was too dry to say anything.

"Yeah..." She mumbled and stared her desk. Her inner self was screaming for her to get a backbone and be sassy like always. Her body just felt too defeated to do that. She hated the feeling.

"Then why are you pregnant?" She continued. She was beaming at seeing the ex-queen of their school cower. Their was twisted twinkle in her eyes that made Ino feel sick. She had to think of something to say back. Some sort of lie.

"It broke." She shrugged. Well at least it was something. Surprisingly the girl said nothing to that like she didn't have a retort. Was that really all Ino needed to say? If it was then she was rather impressed with herself. She gave herself a mental pat on the back.

Tuning out the gossip was much easier when Ino could focus all her attention on the cherry red lipstick on her teacher's front tooth. If she hadn't given her that nasty glance then Ino probably would have informed her. With every word the stain just grew more, if only she could've recorded it. The sight was enough to get her through the class period with a shred of tranquility. After the rough start the class was smooth sailing. Maybe Shikamaru was right after all and she was exaggerating.

* * *

Ino had reached the highlight of her day, which was the thirty minute lunch break. Even though beady eyes were watching her like a hawk, she couldn't have cared less. She was at her usual table with her usual friends. Kiba told extremely exaggerated stories of his summer that made the table erupt in laughter. Chouji was her big boned support. Naruto had already collected enough detentions to last him the week. How that was possible in four periods was beyond her. Then there was Shikamaru whose eyes never left her. Every so often she would catch him looking rather deep in thought, it made her wonder what was going through that brain of. He even reluctantly placed his arm around her shoulders. All she needed were her pleading eyes and a light pout.

The best part was that the topic of her pregnancy never came up. None of them looked at her any different. Granted only Kiba and Naruto were unaware of her pregnancy. She would've answered any of their questions if they asked. Despite their loud-mouth personalities they respected her privacy. She appreciated that tremendously.

"You're an idiot Naruto." She heard Shikamaru grown. Ino hadn't been paying that much attention to the conversation so she didn't now the context.

"What did he do this time?" Ino questioned with a knowing smirk. He was the real dumb blonde of their group, but everyone knew that.

"Well he was fifteen minutes late to school, that was his first detention. He forgot to tie his shoelaces so he tripped and accidentally groped his teacher's chest. That was his second detention. His loud mouth wouldn't shut up so he got his third detention. And this was all just first period." Shikamaru explained with a deep exhale. Sometimes he wondered why Ino couldn't be the only troublesome blonde he had to deal with.

"Seriously?" Ino asked with raised eyebrows. She wasn't sure why everyone around was having poor luck. Maybe it was a curse. Naruto nodded while slurping his ramen.

"That teacher was way harsh. It's my first day, how was I suppose to get their on time? And the whole shoelace thing was a total accident. I deserved the being loud thing though." Naruto defended after finishing off his lunch. Ino couldn't hold in her laugh which her friends joined in on.

"Wait isn't that only three? Don't you have five detentions?" Chouji asked when his laughter subsided.

"I got those for being a disturbance in class for second and fourth period." Naruto read from the detention slips. Kiba chuckled loudly once again.

"At least you had a clean third period." Ino shrugged.

"He nearly got a detention but he begged his way out of it." Said Kiba. Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji all sighed in unison. Their friend really was an idiot.

Ino was glad that some things didn't change, it kept her life a bit more peaceful. Lunch was the perfect interlude to refresh her energy for the last two class periods. She could forget the hell she had experienced even if it was only for thirty minutes. She was thankful for that. She knew her day would only get worse from that point on. She had to just get through two more periods and then she'd be free. Just a little more, she thought.

* * *

Well she was correct in the fact that her day could go downhill. Going into her sixth period wasn't too terrible. There were assigned seats and hers was in the back row. That Karin girl was two seats down from her. Apparently she was Naruto's cousin. She figured it was in alphabetical order. At least she could fade into the background if needed. She was in her favorite class which was literature. She knew something would ruin her mood so she was anxious about that.

It was about a minute before class when that something strolled into the classroom. She scanned the room and saw only the seat directly to her left was open. The raven haired boy took his seat without a word. He didn't even glance her way with those deep black eyes of his. It made her feel relieved.

That relief quickly faded when his thin and calloused finger tapped her shoulder. She ignored it but the tapping continued. What the hell did he want anyway? She also wondered why he confessed to all the things he had done to her. All those horrid things. She didn't have anyone to tell about it. She knew Shikamaru and Chouji wouldn't tell anyone either. His secret would've been safe. So why would he tell it with omitted parts and lies included?

"What do you want?" She snapped at him after jerking her shoulder away. She was really praying to be saved by the bell. Where was her teacher anyway?

"I want to talk to you."

"Isn't that want you're doing right now?" Ino asked with a deep exhale. This class was already getting on her nerves.

"Alone." He added. Ino's eyes subconsciously widened at the single word. She knew what being alone with him meant. When they dated it meant making out to whatever song was on the radio in his Jeep. When he wanted his revenge it meant an hour of torment.

"No way." She replied without hesitation. Her voice must've raised an octave because several of her peers' heads turned towards her. She offered an awkward smile and they proceeded to gossip in hushed whispers.

"Ino," he sighed but the sharp shake of her head stopped him. Her soft blue eyes now focused themselves on the door for the teacher to come in and start class. That's all she wanted. She caught Karin shooting her a quizzical look and responded with a shrug. She really didn't want to explain her situation more than Sai already had.

Ino didn't see Sai slip a letter into her book bag. He figured her reaction would be simlar to the one she gave him. So he wrote everything he wanted to say to her in a letter. He also knew there a chance she would just tear it up which would put him back at square one. He knew for sure she would show it to Shikamaru. Sai didn't mind that since it answered his questions as well. He knew they would never forgive him and he wasn't asking them for it. He wouldn't expect it either. All he wanted was to make some sliver of an amend for them. And he believed he had done just that.

* * *

Ino just wanted to go home. Her final class was a blur of chattering gossip as usual. She had grown used to it. She needed to get home because even though she had gotten used to it, she wasn't sure how much more she could take. She pushed her feelings to the back of her mind because they would crush her. She needed to be out of school to let them loose. Preferably she didn't want Shikamaru to be present. She knew it would make him worry even more about her than he already did.

"So how much for a night?" A voice questioned behind her. Ino looked behind her unsure if he was talking to her. She hoped he wasn't. She vaguely recalled his face but couldn't place his name.

"Excuse me?"

"How much for a _night_ with you?" He repeated. The meaning dawned on her and it made her feel ill.

"I don't do that." She objected hastily. Maybe too hastily since his lips quirked into a smirk.

"Come one you got knocked up by loser genius didn't you? I mean there's no way a guy like that could get a girl like you without a little cash right?" He continued. His feet stepped closer to her. She was dwarfed by him, maybe he was from the basketball team. She was glad she learned to not be intimidated by those taller to him.

"He didn't pay me anything!" She protested, again rather quickly. His smirk grew.

"So you really are a slut. An easy one at that." He replied and moved the already small space between them. Ino really wished she hadn't decided to wait for Shikamaru against the lockers.

What did he mean by that anyway? Were people really calling her a slut? She expected that but it still made a knot in her stomach and tears in the back of her eyes. What if those rumors existed before she was pregnant? Is that what people really thought about her.

"I'm not going to have sex with you." Ino said this time assertively. Getting her pint across was one of her strengths. It didn't change the smirk on his face though. Where was Shikamaru anyway? Were his legs really that tired that his pace was on par with a turtle?

"My parents are lawyers, I've got money." He insisted. Ino felt nauseous at the accusation. The idea of one more glass seemed like a nightmare now. Maybe she could talk Shikamaru into letting her leave early.

"I don't do that." She said again. Maybe saying it again woud get it into his mind.

"You don't have to try and protect your perfect reputation anymore. Everyone knows that all you are is a _little slut_." his voice was lowered into a whisper. It made her feel like her blood had been replaced with ice.

The ice was the replaced by fire. All the confidence that had been disintegrating returned to her. No one talked to Ino Yamanaka like that. She wasn't a slut, she knew that. Everyone else should too. Of course there was the fact that she had a baby bump.

Before her mind and body could connect her hand had already made its way across his face. The sound was sharp and swift, the perfect slap. She wouldn't have normally resorted to violence but with all the hell she had gone through, she had to let it out. She immediately felt regret but it want completely unjustified.

"You're not just a slut, you're also a bitch." He spat with narrowed eyes. At least the smirk was off his face. A tanned arm went between them and pushed the boy away from her. Shikamaru now stood between them, Ino judged by his tense stance that he had caught the last part of their conversation. Her mind was cheering for him to bust him up, but she would never get those words out.

She guessed she missed some unspoken conversation since the boy hurried off with a deep scowl. Shikamaru turned back to her with a sympathetic ghost of a smile. It didn't remove the butterflies from her stomach like usual. The deep pain she felt hadn't eased in the slightest.

"Don't listen to guys like him. It's not worth the worry." He groaned. He always hated altercations both physical or verbal. Still no one talked to her like that. He made sure of it.

"Yeah I know." She replied weakly. Her facade was gone and she had no intention of finding it. She tried to be her usual bubbly optimistic self but it was just too difficult.

"You know I'm proud of you. This day must've been hell to you and you're still staying strong." Shikamaru stated. He moved his arm around her not caring that they were in the middle of the hallway. Her pace was slower than usual do his legs didn't have to work overtime to catch up with her. Ino knew he was saying something supportive to her but all she focus on was her first day.

Their eyes bore into her soul and crushed it with every glance. Judgment, shame, shock, and disappointment filled their eyes. Her "best friend" couldn't stand up for her and only tried to tear her down. Even though the gossip and rumors were in hushed whispers she heard every word. Words like slut were thrown around like a piece of paper during a tornado. People would turn to their friends and snicker when she walked by. She pretended not to notice, not to care. On the inside she had fallen apart the moment she walked into the building. She lied to herald just to get through the day. She smiled and laughed, but deep down she was crying. She couldn't cry in front of everyone, it would only fuel then more. It was like she was stuck in an endless labyrinth of despair.

She wasn't in school now, she was at her front door. Shikamaru was standing behind her but she didn't care anymore. First the tears flowed silently down her cheeks as she fumbled for her key. When she dropped the key her hands began to shake followed by her shoulders shuddering. Her whole body felt like an earthquake. She was no longer silent, she knew that. Sobs were scratching their way out of her throat.

Even when his warm arms enveloped her the cries continued. Her face was pressed in the crook of his neck in an effort to conceal them. His hands were rubbing her back to comfort her. It wasn't working. She was squeezing him too tight but he said nothing. He didn't know what to say to the cheerful girl he had always known now that she was breaking down. She would continue to break down because now she could finally let go of everything she as pushing away.


	30. Chapter 30

Ino wanted to sit on her hardwood floor with her knees curled up to her chest. The baby bump prevented that and her spine would curse her later. Plus the floor felt like ice under her bare feet. Instead her eyes peered up at the ceiling as she lay flat on her bed. Her eyes were fully focused on a single crack on it. The curtains were shut to stop the sun from seeping into her bedroom. The darkness muted the vibrant colors of her bedroom into shades of gray. It matched her mood. The room was completely silent, eerily so. Ino was positive the sound of her sigh would create an echo. Still for once in her life she loved the lack of noise. It gave her a slim sliver of peace.

The first day of school absorbed any happiness she once felt about it. Even thinking about that day made her feel nauseous. Her head felt like it was spinning a mile a minute. She knew it was all because of her own anxiety. It felt like a beast trying to claw its way out of her. She could barely repress it from escaping. Maybe being alone wasn't helping her. It only gave her time to dwell on the hell she had endured. That's why her soft blue eyes were staring at the crack. It was a decent enough distraction. She still didn't want anyone to see her in her chaotic state of mind.

Shikamaru had given up on crossing her threshold. A locked door stood between them and Ino felt no hurry in opening it. He probably knocked until his knuckles went numb. It seemed so strange that he continued for more than a minute. Her whining certainly was more troublesome than usual. After her persistent crying at him to go away, he did. She heard him mutter troublesome woman before sulking off. His footsteps were heavier than usual.

Ino could not get the glares and looks of disgust out of her mind. Snarky comments filled their lungs to spit at her. They didn't let her gracefully give up her throne, they tossed her aside like a piece of trash. The only words spoken to her were insults and accusations. Each one squeezed her heart and pushed the air out of her.

The worst part of it all was that it was only the first day. She still had months to deal with. She couldn't skip school the next day because then her classmates would know they got to her. She wouldn't give them that satisfaction. Maybe school would get easier. She could dream.

After the initial downpour of tears Ino wasn't sure how else to express how she felt. Sure her tears showed sadness, but she couldn't cry for days. Sadness wasn't even the correct word to describe the mental warfare going on within her. It was just the easiest emotion to show. She didn't even show the full extent of it, how could she? By sobbing until she couldn't breath? By screaming about how unfair the situation was? By draining her voice of all emotion to express her numbness?

Ino was described as fearless by her peers. During truth or dare she would always pick dare. She'd do whatever it was. Whether it was to climb the oak tree in school yard, step on one of Shino's bugs, sit at the tables of kids years older than her, play soccer with the aggressive boys like Kiba or Sasuke, or even plant a kiss on the lips of her best friend. There wasn't a single dare she couldn't accomplish. While all other kids were panicking when a branch of the oak tree snapped under her and she was left dangling, she used her gymnastic lessons to get to another branch and continue the climb. She offered a smile to her upperclassman as they shot her scowls. She sat at that table the whole lunch period. She ran just as fast and kicked just as hard during her soccer matches. There was no hesitation when she marched to Shikamaru, placed her hands on his shoulders, and pecked his lips. By her classmates she was fearless.

In her heart she knew she wasn't fearless. She didn't have any concrete fears or things to be scared of. That didn't make her fearless. It made her tough. It was that toughness that was allowing her to stay together.

She feared seeing those two pink lines on the pregnancy test. She feared telling anyone about her mistake. She feared their reactions. She feared losing it or anyone else precious to her. She feared that first day of school, now she fears the second. She feared judgment and ridicule.

A light tap on her door sounded like a crack of thunder in the soundless room. It want even a knock and it made a crescendo in the still bedroom. It broke her focus on the crack in her ceiling. Her eyes were now in a halfhearted glare at the locked door. What would it take to get a little piece.

"Go away." Ino groaned and resisted the urge to throw her pillow at the door. How many times had she told Shikamaru to leave her alone? He could get a hint right?

"Why?" The lazy boy asked in an exasperated tone. Ino knew he was probably rolling his eyes or scowling.

"Because I want to be alone." She answered back tiredly. She found it strange that he responded with "why". He never usually did that. He didn't question her motives or ideas. Whenever she barked an order at him, which was practically everyday, he complied without a question. Besides his intelligent mind should know that she wanted to be left alone because of the horrible day. There was no reason for a "why". But why couldn't she think of a better answer?

"Why?" He repeated. Ino rolled her eyes at his unusual persistence. He barely pushed issues and if he did then he viewed them as particularly important. She didn't find this scenario to be of that most importance.

"Because I do." She offered as another weak answer. She thought she had a better reason but she couldn't put it into words. Strange.

"Why?" He asked louder than before. It was more accusing as well. Ino threw her pillow at the door finally. It collided with a satisfying thud. Maybe that would get the message across.

"Ino," his voice was much quieter than before. There was a subtle note of pleading as well. At least it wasn't another "why". Despite her stubborn mind her feet moved the door and unlocked it. His still put together appearance met her more relaxed one. She had already torn off that uniform and replaced it with his royal blue sweatshirt that she had never returned. He never added for it back, although he had just forgotten about it knowing him. She always wore it when she wanted comfort. And only for that reason. It wouldn't feel as special if she always wore it.

"I really don't want to talk right now." She mumbled as she returned to her purple bed.

"Then we won't." He sighed and followed her. Ino's whole body slumped into it and her eyes focused on that crack again. He laid down beside her without a word. His arms hung like noodles at his sides. Not sure of where to go. Ino decided the sweatshirt wasn't offering the maximum amount of comfort possible. She did have the man that made it such a comforting item beside her after all. Without warning and lifted one of those limp arms so she could snuggle into his side. It promptly squeezed her shoulder before resting over her, not holding her too tight or too loose. It made a small smile form on her lips, one of the few genuine ones of the day.

Once Ino found the perfect angle of resting her head on his chest while not having her baby bump get in the way her eyes shut. She just wanted to rest them, all that crying made them feel heavy. On any other circumstance she could've remained awake without an issue. Instead the utter silence of the room was broken by a steady heartbeat. The sound was so soothing against her ear that it made her eyes glued shut. Maybe a short nap wouldn't be too bad. It could refresh her energy. She was falling under slowly, letting the darkness into her. Everything went black when faintest of kisses landed on hard spot between her eyebrows.

* * *

A faint noise brought Ino out of her slumber. She didn't bother to let her eyes flutter and adjust to being awake. When they burst open she was met Shikamaru turning the page of a book. He didn't notice her awakening as he was too absorbed in what he was reading. Once the page was changed, his arm went back around her just like before she fell asleep. Her bedside lamp was turned on its dimmest setting and fast a glow on the dark room. It gave him just enough light to read without interrupting her. From her viewpoint she just make out the bottom paragraph of a page.

_All the screaming and crying that gives two hours of sleep a night, the soiled and dirty diapers, the stubborn refusal for food, and the way your baby will always get into anything will all be worth it in the end. When your baby wrapped its little hand around your finger and giggles in your arms. When you hear its first coo and see its first steps. When it calls you mama or daddy. When it demands all your attention just so it can be held. When you see those little teeth coming in to offer you a grin. When it claps its little hands together or plays with its toes. When it wakes you up in the middle of the night just so it can cuddle with you. Those are the things that make parenting through those tough six weeks worth it_.

Ino realized it was some sort of parenting book. She knew he had secretly bough those. It still seemed so strange to be thinking about them as parents. The due date was growing closer each day but Ino didn't feel more like a parent with each day. What if she would never be ready for that responsibility? She had enough confidence in herself that she could do it and that was enough to block out the thought.

Something about that paragraph hit home for her. That's what she was enduring all this chaos for. That was what she was fighting for. If she could just remember that then she could make it through the year. That's what she needed.


	31. Chapter 31

Could the clock tick any slower, Shikamaru thought. He was really beginning to despise his first period class. Sure he hated all his classes but this class topped that list. His seat gave him a perfect view of the board, since it was in the front row, and his naggy teacher. He swore the woman was in a permanent grouchy mood. She spent at least five minutes every period to complain about one thing or another. Her current rant had something to do with dreams being crushed. Honestly Shikamaru had tuned her out after the first ten seconds. He mastered that skill after having to deal with the equally naggy Ino. The difference was he could actually stand her presence, he quite fond of it.

"Shikamaru wipe that drool off your desk and pay attention!" Temari barked. She now loomed over his desk, her sharp eyes glared down at him. His lazy eyes rolled and continued to stare at the clock. He just had three and a half minutes left to endure. Instead of barking another order at him or throwing a fit like she did the day prior, she simply placed a piece of yellow paper on his desk. He already knew what it was, a detention slip. He had manuevered his way out of one of them the day before but he figured she'd just give him another one.

"_You wanted to see me." He yawned as he sulked up to her desk after class. His feet wanted nothing more than to run out of the classroom. So he took a little nap in her class, what was the big deal?_

_"You were sleeping in class today." She stated without looking up from her computer. Her French tipped fingernails were typing at a rapid speed._

_"So?"_

_"So that's not allowed in my classroom. You also didn't your homework for the past two days and you still haven't brought your textbook to class. That hinders you from taking notes which I also am plagued with grading." She snapped and looked up from the computer briefly to shoot him a narrow look. Then she was back to tapping._

_"I still don't see your point." He grumbled impatiently. Passing period wasn't going to pause just for him, Ino had probably given up waiting for him at this point._

_"You need to get your act together mister, that's why I'm giving you a detention. Maybe that will give you some incentive." She sighed and pulled a yellow slip out of her desk drawer. Shikamaru smirked involuntarily, he was an expert at getting out of these. How else would he get away with sleeping his days away?_

_"Haven't you read the school policies? You can't give a student a detention for what they did in class when that class period is over." He quoted from the school rule book. That was the only school related book he ever read. Granted he only read it to find loupoles for getting out of trouble. Loupoles like this one._

_Her lips were pursed in a thin line as her eyes glared at him, "Smartass." She finally muttered bitterly and shooed him out of the classroom. Shikamaru did this with a rare ounce of enthusiasm, a triumphant smirk played on his face. _

Temari was smarter this time around and had the detentions slip filled out and ready to go before he even stepped foot in her classroom. Now it lay on his desk and it was her turn to smirk. She swore that student was nothing but a nuisance. He had a too cool for school attitude and a sharp tongue. His eyes were always half closed and his posture slouched. He wouldn't accomplish anything in his life with his current attitude.

"See you after school." She said and moved back to the front of the class. Her lips were moving to another rant on why people like Shikamaru were nothing but pests. He was almost flattered that she thought it was needed to call him out.

* * *

"That bitch." Ino huffed after Shikamaru filled her in. She was surprised he got his first detention of the year so quickly. Usually his teachers gave him the benefit of the doubt for at least a week.

Normally she'd scold him for slacking off in class and agree with his teachers. In her head she still did but judging by his extra large frown she remained silent. It bummed her out that he was forced to stay after school since that meant their plans had been ruined. She supposed that some time apart would do them some good. They were practically glued at the hip after school started. They were already close enough because of her pregnancy and of the or existing friendship. Now it seemed like they shared everything. Months of secrets and lies had been replaced by the utmost honesty. She loved how strangely light she felt around him despite the extra pounds of baby weighing her down.

"I'll get Chouji to pick you up after last period." He stated as they reached her next class. Ino shook her head. His hand automatically smoothed back her bangs behind her ear. She grinned.

"He doesn't have to do that. I can handle myself you know." She objected and adjusted her posture confidently. Judging by his face he didn't seem convinced.

"Then why do you make me do this if you can handle yourself?" He questioned with a quirked eyebrow. He knew how much school had gotten int her mind. It invaded and clawed its way into all her thoughts. It constantly lurked in the back of her mind. He liked to think being by her side made her calmer.

"You're not my bodyguard, you're my boyfriend. I like spending time with you dummy. Besides if you keep detentions for that laziness of yours then I'll have to savor these moments." Ino replied. Her tone had gotten back some of its cheerfulness. Her smile was no longer false, at least for now. Her overly perky demeanor had toned down because of school but it was in no way gone. It gave him some relief knowing that she was adjusting. High school would never be easy for her but it could be manageable. They did only have this last year. Then they would be able to leave it behind them and start new lives together as a family.

"Don't get all mushy on me. It's embarrassing." Shikamaru scoffed. Now that she was returning to her old self that meant he didn't have to return all her lovey dovey speeches. He only went along with them because he knew it made her happy. Now he could continue to be unromantic in public. His face still did lightly flush though.

"What's so embarrassing about it?" She pouted in return. She was glad they were falling back into their old routine. Their lighthearted bickering had become more frequent. Her nagging and scolding had also increased. His laziness to do anything was another thing that had returned. Ino supposed everything going back to normal was a good sign. Maybe her school life would go back to normal as well. One could dream right?

"You know I'm not comfortable with being all cutesy in public." He mumbled. Being a cute little couple wasn't what he wanted. He liked their romantic moments and all, just not all he time. Their childish fights and arguments kept them natural. Just like the old days before everything went crazy. No baby bumps or secrets came between them. Sometimes he missed those days when they were just kids. All their actions could be taken back by a quick apology and they were back to normal.

Most of their old pastimes were cast aside because of her pregnancy. Ino's impatient hormones made casual days on the hill unbearable. He had to watch the clouds by himself when she was busy with something else. He supposed it wasn't that bad, having peace and quiet was a rare thing to come by if you Ino. She wasn't in the mood to go out anywhere. That crossed out their bakery trips and movies. Their two favorite types of dates. Most of their time with Chouji was limited too.

"Don't you want me to be a little affectionate?" She shot back. Her blue eyes were twinkling like they usually did. They were just like firecrackers waiting to explode. What reaction she was waiting for was beyond him. She was just trying to start a squabble. Just like the old days.

"Not in our school hallway." He replied with rolled eyes. She already knew that answer.

"Fine, I've got to get to class anyway." Ino said back and walked into her second period.

Karin greeted her with a small grin. She seemed so lonely like Ino. Maybe she'd be a better friend than any of the other girls she used to hang out with. They just thrived off her popularity and when she became the school's failure they ditched her. She had nothing else to give so she wondered why Karin hang around with her. She was the new girl and that on top of hanging around with Ino wasn't going to win her any popularity points.

"What's up?" Ino asked after taking her seat. Honestly she needed this friendship more than anything. It was one of the few she had left. The only one with a girl at that. Sure she loved her boys but she needed some girlfriends too.

"Eh nothing much. Just the usual school stuff." Karin shrugged.

"Sounds nice." Ino replied distantly. Just usual school stuff seemed like a distant relic of her past. No more hushed gossip and glares to ruin her day. Just lighthearted conversations and easy schoolwork. People admiring her and trusting her opinion above all else. Her influence on everyone was so strong it was criminal.

"Why? It's so boring." Karin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe boring is just what I need. I've had enough drama to fill a lifetime."

"Yeah I guess that's what happens when you go from the top to the bottom in a day." Karin replied bluntly. Maybe too bluntly judging by Ino's saddened expression. "But hey at least you were able to be at the top. I've been a loser since I was a toddler." She added quickly. That didn't help Ino's expression. She hated bullied kids. It made her feel sick. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect in her eyes. That's why she befriended everyone. People like Sakura, she was bullied relentlessly for her lathe forehead, and Chouji, who was bullied for his weight. That stuff didn't matter to her.

"Don't talk like that, I'm sure you weren't a loser." Ino objected.

"They called me Loser Karin, I'm pretty sure I wasn't miss popular." Karin snorted. Ino couldn't imagine how that felt. Well she could now but not as far back as childhood. Her peers treated her like a princess. If someone even said a negative word about her they would come to her defense. Maybe it made her too spoiled. Maybe that's why school was so hard for her now. She knew her childhood was a lucky one but she always thought her luck would continue. Reality was a bitch.

"That must've sucked. I'm sorry." Ino replied with a smile of pity.

"What could you have done." Karin shrugged and began rummaging through her bag. Only then did Ino remember they were in class and did the same. Once she found the green notebook used for science a note peeked out. She didn't know who would write her one, notes were so middle school. Curious at its contents she picked it up and examined the crumpled price of folded paper. It only took one word for her to instantly recognize the writer. Her face blanched. Without a second glance she shoved it back into her bag.

"Hey what's wrong?" Karin asked and lightly touched her shoulder. Ino put on the false smile she had mastered since school started and shrugged.

"Oh nothing just something stupid."

* * *

Two deep breaths gave Ino the courage to reopen that note. Besides she had sat in a bathroom stall long enough. Third period had already started but she didn't care. Nobody would miss her in it anyway.

The cursive "I" gave the writer's identity away. Ino didn't think it was planned to remain hidden. Part of her didn't want to read it but the other part needed to know. Maybe it was some apology note, not that Ino would accept it, or maybe he was back to playing his old tricks. Either way she had to know.

_Ino,_

_You know I'm not that good with words and emotions. You probably know that better than anyone. So this note will probably sound contrived but it's not. Believe that if yo want even though you most likely won't. I didn't know how I was supposed to act or what to say when I found out you cheated on me. You got yourself pregnant while you were with me. I was pissed. I didn't know how to tell you how angry I was at you. So I showed you. I know I was wrong and I'm sorry for that. I know Shikamaru wanted to do a lot more to me than a couple punches. I don't blame him, I would've done the same if the roles were switched. I wanted to hurt him more than you. I already told you that but I doubt you listened. I just didn't know how so I used you since I knew it would work. But I ended up hurting you more than him. He didn't like me to begin with, we both knew that. This was just his last straw. You on the other hand trusted me, at least I think you did. I trusted you and you cheated on me so maybe you didn't. He took you away from me, I didn't know what to do. I wanted to return the favor. That plan really backfired on me. But I think he always had you even when you two were "just friends". I got jealous, I think that's the word right? I got mad and it felt like we were competing even though technically I had already won. That doesn't matter now. I just wanted to make some sort of amend. That's why I tried to take some attention away from your pregnancy. So I told everyone what I did to you. I don't think it worked as well as I thought, but I had to try. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry._

_Sai._

Ino had to reread it three times to take it in. Even then she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Was she entitled to forgive him. Did he deserve it? Shikamaru would tell her hell no, but was he right? She felt like this note wasn't something she should show him. Still she promised him to be perfectly honest with him, this note would just contradict that. Maybe Shikamaru already knew about it. Sai did have first period with him. He'd probably accuse Sai of messing with her mind or something like that. She guessed that could be correct. Or he could be entirely wrong.

* * *

Shikamaru really despised the idea of detention. Especially today now that Ino had began acting strangely again. That girl really kept him on his toes. Apparently she had even been late to third period, that never happened. She had never been tardy in all her days of school. He tried to get information out of her but she didn't budge. He was absolutely certain something was wrong when he gave her a kiss on the lips and relieved no reaction. Just a sweet smile and she off to her next class. He had this stupid detention with a stupid teacher so he couldn't pester her further.

"Can't I just make this up tomorrow?" He whined after taking a seat by her desk.

"Maybe if you had toned down the snark yesterday." Temari replied with a devious smirk. Her glossed nails were stil typing away on that computer of hers. He wondered if all she did was nag and type.

With a very heavy groan Shikamaru sank deeper into his chair. Detention lasted for two hours, what was she going to make him do? Clean the gum off the desks or mop the floors? It was all so very troublesome.

"Go clean the chalkboard." She ordered and released one finger from her rapid typing to point at the board in front of the classroom. Not wanting to fight another troublesome woman he obeyed and wiped the board clean.

"You can go do the windows too. Save the janitor some work." She added, her green eyes not bothering to look up from whatever was so important on her computer screen.

"There's not enough room to clean in two hours you know. You're just wasting both of our times." He yawned as he wiped a window. The clouds looked so nice that day, he longed to watch them float by.

"It's to teach you some discipline. Maybe if you had some then you wouldn't be stuck here. Quite frankly all the work I'm doing would be done at home anyway. You're not wasting my time." Temari snapped from her desk. This boy was just another reason why she despised her job. But she was stuck with it so she had to make lemons out of lemonade. The only problem was the especially sour lemon in front of her. Sure she has other problematic students like that Uzumaki kid but he was bearable just really annoying.

"Not a single teacher has cracked me yet, I wouldn't bother trying if I were you." Shikamaru groaned again as he moved to another window to clean. No matter how strict this woman was he would remain his lady self. No one could change that about himself. It was his reputation to protect.

"I'm not a quitter." She shot back.

"Well you should be. It's pretty fun if you ask me."

"I wasn't. Hurry up with those windows slowpoke!" She barked. Her fingers were jabbing the keys so hard Shikamaru could hear them from across the room. It was actually quite the scary noise. It reminded him of both his mother and Ino.

Once every window was polished to Temari's liking she made him return to her desk. Two sheets of paper were printed off and handed to him. He looked them over and back at her with an eyebrow raised.

"Why are you showing me my grades and Ino's from the last four years?" He questioned. It seemed like a waste of paper to him.

"Are you going to keep the baby?" She asked. Her hands were now neatly folded in front of her.

"Yes, why do you want to know?"

"Because if you're such a quitter than that baby is screwed. Look at your grades and then look at 's. Her grades are practically flawless minus a few B's in math. Yours on the other hand are abysmal. How you even got this far in high school is beyond me. She'll have no problem getting into a good college with all her extracurriculars and these grades. I'm assuming she'll have a great essay as well. Good colleges typically mean she'll get a good job down the road to help the baby. You won't be as fortunate. With these grades and only having two years of soccer you'll be lucky to even get an interview for good colleges." Temari explained, her eyes locked with his. Despite his genius mind he had never given that concept a thought. That explained why Ino was always pushing him to do better in school. She wanted him to have a good future more than he did. Now with a baby on the way he needed to step up, but it could be too late.

"What do I need to do?" He asked almost desperately.

"Well if start by joining some clubs. Get a perfect 4.0 gpa and do a kickass essay and you may get lucky. You're not dumb Shikamaru, I've seen your test scores. You rank in the top three percent of the entire student body. Really sell that and you any stand a chance. But it's a slim chance. You may have to take some community college courses and wait a year before even starting college." She answered with a sigh. Did this kid really not realize what he has done to his future? He was supposed to be a genius.

It felt like a slap to the face. His laziness could possibly are over the family he fought so hard for to have. If he didn't get his act together than he'd be useless to Ino. She couldn't do everything by herself. She was a strong woman for sure but he would never make her do all the work. It seemed like a dream when they were little but now he felt so hopeless. He felt like the loser everyone called him and has Ino defend him for. Maybe it was too late to fix the mess he had made.


	32. Chapter 32

Something made Ino's eyebrow twitch. She knew there was something off with Shikamaru, she always did. It was like her sixth sense. Having him call her and ask to study was the first red flag. He never studied. Not for a single exam since they were in elementary school. Part of her thought it was some strange attempt of flirting on his part, that really wasn't his forte at all. Neither was studying so Ino knew both options were out of his ballpark. Still she got her mother to drive her to the Nara household. Yoshino greeted her at the door, not her boyfriend. That was a mild red flag but she passed it off as his laziness.

Yoshino filled her in on how frustrated at the lazy genius. He wasn't coming down for dinner no matter how much she yelled at him, he claimed he was too busy studying. They both knew that was a lie. His door was locked at all times, Yoshino had to resist every urge to break it down. Ino found that behavior bizarre because no matter how much Shikamaru complained about her, he always did what she ordered. It would be his head on a stick if he didn't. That was her third red flag.

Sure enough his bedroom door was locked when she climbed up the stairs after making small talk with his mother. It took two knocks and reassurance it was her, not Yoshino, for him to open it. His backpack was emptied out on his floor. Notebooks and papers coated the hardwood paneling. On his bed were his textbooks. Only the history book was open, she assumed that was what he was studying. He was back on his bed before she could say hello. Her blue eyes scanned the littered floor and found they were all notes, the ink on the pages was still freshly black. There were a few homework assignments on his desk as well. All of them were finished without tardy marks. Shikamaru never did his homework, and minimal notes at best. Not pages and notebooks full of them. Ino gave up on counting the red flags going off in her head.

"So what do you want to study?" She finally asked. So he really does mean studying after all, Ino thought. Both her eyebrows were raised as she sat on the small space he left for her on his bed. Textbooks and his tall frame left just enough room on the end for her to sit. Study dates really didn't suit the pair but Ino would let it slide.

"I've already got my history book out." He replied and flipped a page of said book. With a nod she pulled an identical book out of her bag.

"How long have you been studying for?" She questioned. Judging by her previous survey all those notes would have taken hours to complete. The small bags forming under his eyes didn't debunk that theory. Even after the sixteen years of knowing him, she couldn't understand what was compelling him to do this.

His dark eyes were so focused on the page in front of him. Ino could practically see the gears turning in his head. He was analyzing each paragraph with an intensity on par with Ino's exam week studying. A crease between his eyebrows had also formed. It was kinda cute in a dorky sort of way. Ink smudges were visible on the sides of his hands and fingertips. It was a peculiar sight indeed.

His shoulders seemed so tense, not relaxed and slouched like usual. The idea of giving him a massage popped into her mind. Well actually everything about him seemed tense, even the wrinkles of the uniform he was still clad in. He would always immediately put on sweats as soon as he got home from school. He'd toss the uniform aside with pleasure and not glance at it until the next morning. What was occupying him so much that he couldn't even get changed?

"Can you grab those flash cards for me?" He asked suddenly and nodded his head to the direction of his desk. Was her boyfriend brainwashed, that must be the solution. He used to scoff at her flash cards and scribble his own answers on them. Little jokes and ridiculous factoids or doodles of their teacher with a vein that allows popped when he sneezed. Stuff that made her smile even though she was supposed to be mad at him for wrecking her hard work. She kept all of them and during those first six weeks she looked back to them as a sort of remembrance of their friendship.

"Since when do you make flash cards?" She retorted once she handed them to him.

"Since I needed to study. You said they help you so I figured if give them a shot." He shrugged. The handwriting was so sloppy on them, at least some things were still the same about him.

"Why the sudden need to study?"

"For classes. I've got to catch up, three years of doing nothing and I'm a bit rusty about school." He replied, his nose still stuck in a book. He was almost acting too intense. Ino only got this intense during finals, and she was the definition of a perfectionist. She didn't want him to push himself too hard.

"Have you taken a break yet? Those are important you know." She persisted. It seemed like every word out of her mouth was a question. But there were so many for him to answer.

"I don't have enough time for that, do you see how much stuff there is to go over. Chouji was busy so I figured you could help me. You know like quiz me or something." He shrugged once again. That turned her smile into a frown in a second. So this wasn't even a date, just studying. She wasn't even his first option! She did suppose Chouji was his best friend and all but part of her still felt hurt.

"I see." She responded maybe a bit too quickly. Her tone was sharper than she had wanted. It still made his eyes peek up from the textbook to look at her. His lounged position still remained.

"What's your problem?" He huffed in his signature drawl.

"Nothing."

Silence fell over them again. He would turn a page and scribble notes on the notepad beside him. Ino would give the occasional sigh or flip of the hair to get his attention, and failed each time. She didn't need to study like he did. There was no pint for her to be there. He didn't want her help and she wasn't feeling compelled to offer him any either. It was like he was in his own little world.

Finally once Ino couldn't contain her boredom she asked, "Should I just go home?". Her arms were crossed and her eyes weren't as vibrant anymore. Her lips were pursed in a tight line.

"If you want." He replied in his usual monotoned voice. He didn't even look up from whatever page he was on.

"That's it?" Ino snapped. She lifted herself off the tiny spot on his bed. Her hands now were planted on her hips as her eyes bore down on him. He was indifferent of course.

"I'm not going to force you to stay. It's not like you were doing anything anyway." Shikamaru stated. He seemed to take the hint to get his lazy ass off the bed. Well at least sit up.

"What was I supposed to do?" She shot back. He could tell she was getting mad. Her cheeks were getting flushed and her stance was tensing by the second.

"I asked you to help me study, that was pretty clear right?" He responded, his tone sounded like he was talking to a toddler.

"But you don't study!" She practically screamed. Everyone and their mothers knew that. Ino knew this better than anyone. That's she figured it was one corny move on his part to get her to come over. Like an actual date.

"Maybe I've changed. I thought you would've wanted that." Shikamaru replied. This time his tone was more accusing. Ino would admit she tried to get him to take school seriously, well anything for that matter. Just a little participation here and there would've been enough. He didn't have to go completely obsessive over it.

"Not like this. Sure actually taking some notes is good, but don't coat your floor with them. You're not even acting like yourself."

"Says the girl that doesn't act like herself on a weekly basis." He muttered quirky to himself. Ino still caught it. Now her frown was a scowl, "_Excuse me_?"

"Judging by your scowl I think you heard me correctly." He yawned and leaned back on his bed. He knew exactly what he meant. Sure it was harsh, but he was in a blunt mood. The blonde wasn't helping that.

"Oh just move on already." She groaned. She began to pack her bag again, coming was a mistake after all. She really was in no mood to argue. Besides no one talked to her like that, especially Shikamaru.

"You made me feel like a compete bastard each time, like I had done something wrong. When in reality it was you that screwed up." He snapped, some of her anger has rubbed off on him. He could tell this argument wasn't going to well for anyone.

"You're so full of yourself you know that? Yes I did screw up all those times, no I didn't want to make you feel awful about yourself. But did you ever think about how I felt? I bet you were so hung up on your own pity party that you didn't even bother to think about how humiliated and helpless I felt. With the pregnancy, with Sai, hell even now! I've kept my distance to try and protect you. To keep you from getting the backlash. Sure I didn't do the best job but I tried as hard as I could've." She cried.

She hadn't had a chance to rant about it. But God did it feel good, a weight was lifted off her shoulders. Shikamaru was at a loss for words, something unusual for the genius. Content that her point had gotten across, she tossed her bag over her shoulder and sauntered out of his bedroom.


	33. Chapter 33

Shikamaru now realized why you should never hit the ignore button when someone calls you. That was reserved for-according to Chouji- when a crazy stalker calls you for the fifth time within an hour. Not when your girlfriend tries to call you. They had just gotten into one of the most childish, yet heated fights. It all started because he asked her over to study. Ino misinterpreted that and thought her meant something along the lines of a date. It was her own fault. Then she bombarded him with questions, thus interrupting his thought process. That put him a bit on edge which didn't help their later argument.

Ino was a straight A student except for that one semester of math which gave her a B. He still teased her about that despite his report card full of D's. He figured she would be able to help him more than anyone when it came to school. She had more drive in her pinky finger than in his 5"10 frame. Maybe she could finally get it to rub off on him. He had resisted it with every fiber of his body before his talk with . The thought that he wouldn't be able to provide for his family hadn't crossed his mind. He couldn't believe it looking back. He wasn't the type of guy to make Ino carry all their financial burdens, they would share fifty-fifty. Both of them agreed on that. Shikamaru couldn't do that if he couldn't get into college.

He now realized why Ino forced him to do soccer freshman year and join the chess team sophomore year. Extracurricular activities were also necessary on a college application. It was no wonder she packed in all the clubs her schedule would allow. That combined with her stellar grades and she was college bound. She'd be the real bread-winner in their household, well that much Shikamaru was fine with.

Senior year was his last shot for college, even then it was a long shot. He had to get A's in every class like Ino. That meant cramming three years of knowledge while also learning all new material. He admitted maybe he looked a bit obsessive with the note taking, but it was his only option. He read each sentence until his head had words spinning out his ears. It was times like that that he was thankful for his genius brain.

"So she hasn't called you since?" Chouji asked. Shikamaru found Chouji was the only person he could describe his issue to. Ino was off the table. His mom would drive him to her house so he could beg for her forgiveness. Kiba and Naruto couldn't give him any advice. That left his best friend as his only confidante. He understood Ino just as well as Shikamaru did.

Shikamaru shook his head. His phone hadn't buzzed since the day after their fight. No one called him besides Ino, and on rare occasions Chouji. They knew he hated to be bothered by the ringing of his phone. He refused to get into long text conversations, way too troublesome. Now he found the blank screen depressing. He had tried to call her twice but each time they were stopped before the first ring. She used that stupid ignore button as well. Now he knew she was pissed at him.

"She was probably trying to talk about it you know. If you didn't want to talk to her you could've just let it go to voicemail. Everyone knows that." Chouji sighed, romance really was the only subject Shikamaru was an idiot in. He thought Ino was just going to nag him it pester him more. The idea wasn't too strange knowing Ino. Shikamaru was still wise enough to know ignoring her was only to make her angrier. Their firecracker of a best friend would only make their fight worse because of it.

Fights were a common occurrence between the two. Had been since they were children. Shikamaru would take her crayon without asking because he was too lazy to dig through his box, She'd tattle on him and get him in trouble with his mom. She'd scold him for being lazy and he'd retort by accusing her of being a bossy pants. He always found some way to get under her skin and she'd find some way to get stuck in his mind. All her nags and whines echoed in his ears. All his little jabs at the boys she was crushing on stuck in the back of her mind. They'd bicker over practically anything. Chouji remembered a time that this song played with an orchestra in the background, Shikamaru was positive the violin was used but Ino insisted it was a viola. Naturally Ino went straight to a computer to find out, and for once she was right. She rubbed that in his face for more than a week. Other times they'd argue over what movie to watch or food to eat. Ino had more sweet and simple tastes, while Shikamaru preferred mature and intriguing.

Those were just their little squabbles that lasted a few days at most. Then it wood be water under the bridge. Chouji could count on one hand the amount of actual fights they had. Ones where they avoided each other for weeks on end and forced Chouji into the middle of it. They'd make him pick a side, he agreed to both in secret of course. No words were spoken to each other unless it was dire. Or until Chouji managed to piece them together.

The first was back in middle school. It was when Ino's crush on Sasuke escalated from doodling his name in her notebook to becoming essentially a fan girl. She defended him with so much energy that it was almost scary. She'd go on and on about how "perfect" he was. In her eyes he could do no wrong. To be fair all the girls thought he was like a god at the time so she didn't seem as insane for liking the brooding boy. Chouji could agree with her on some aspects but typically tuned most of her gushing out. He figured the stupid crush of hers would go away eventually and he'd have their Ino back. Turns out the crush lasted for a full year before disintegrating.

Shikamaru handled it much differently. He wasn't afraid to make his disdain for Sasuke known to Ino. It was obvious that he hated the guy. He hated his cockiness and the way he was idolized. He didn't think there was anything special about him. Ino brushed his insults off as jealousy and continued living her fantasy. As time grew his insults grew harsher and even to Chouji they seemed extreme. It was like he was spitting out venom. Things along the lines of he was a bastard, wuss, ungrateful, a genius that would crack under pressure, power hungry, vengeful, etc. Ino in turn would point out Shikamaru's flaws.

Ino never understood what compelled him to be so rude. However Chouji knew it was his own little way of trying to protect her. Both boys knew Sasuke wasn't good enough for her, not that her feelings would ever be reciprocated anyway. Neither of them wanted her to get hurt, Shikamaru was just more blunt about it. In his mind pointing out everything wrong with the guy would make Ino not see him as "perfect". He was talking to deaf ears however. It was like he had put some sort of spell on her.

Eventually their bickering escalated to the point Shikamaru's patience snapped. The guilt was written on his face as soon as the words came out of him. He had called her an idiot. For most of the other kids that word would be brushed off as a light tease. No one would've cared about the next day. For Ino it was different, she was at the top of their class with great grades but no one thought she was smart. Maybe it was because she was friends with Sakura, a brilliant girl. Maybe it was her blonde hair and somewhat ditzy personality. But Chouji thought it hurt the most because of who called her it. Shikamaru was her closest friend, there was no contest. She trusted him with her insecurities and faults. He never judged her for them. He wouldn't have dared to use them against her. But this wasn't a tease either, but a direct insult. And it felt like a slap to the face. The initial shock wore off her face quickly and was replaced by hurt. Her eyes were turning glassy and if you looked closely her hands were shaking. His hand had reached out to touch her arm as some form of apology but she shrugged it away. By them she had already turned on her heel and hurried away from him.

_Ino avoided him to a rather impressive extent, she took different hallways just so they wouldn't run into each other, she arrived to class seconds before the bell so she wouldn't have to make small talk, and she even got one of their teachers to switch her seat after saying she had a hard time seeing the board. It was brilliant if you thought about it. He couldn't even get her attention to apologize. Shikamaru had every intention to fix their fragile friendship, he was even ready to muster a compliment for the Uchihabrat if necessary. Their friendship was precious to him and he held it in high esteem. Knowing that he might've destroys it left him racked with guilt._

_It had been weeks since Shikamaru's screw up that he fight was finally over. Chouji wished the circumstances had been softer for Ino's sake. He couldn't remember every detail of that day but he remembered they were doing some sort of lab. By pure luck Ino was Sasuke's partner, the smile on her face only made Shikamaru more miserable. Their stations were directly next to each other so Ino's fawning filled their ears. In return Shikamaru made his grumbles of annoyance perfectly clear for her. Shikamaru was even more off focus than usual that day so Chouji remembered doing all the work. Usually Shikamaru would do a problem and call it a day. He didn't even bother writing his name on their paper. His eyes seemed to be a mix of half closed and in a glare._

_It was close to end of class when all hell broke loose. Chouji couldn't remember exactly what Sasuke called her but it was enough to make Ino blanch. Her lip had quivered as she tried to not to show how upset she actually was. Chouji thought it was something along the lines of being annoying. Either way Shikamaru caught it and snapped his head to the side. His eyes were in a plain glare at the raven haired boy. When Chouji looked up from their station he was already in front of their blonde haired friend. His stance was as tense as a brick. It was like he was trying to shield Ino from his view, like on glance from Sasuke would turn her to stone. She looked so small, even though at that time they were the same height. If they weren't working with a Bunsen burner Chouji would've gone over there too._

_"Don't talk to her like that," Shikamaru ordered. His arms were crossed and he tried to stand taller, it didn't help as Sasuke was still inches above him in height. He learned that looking like you were tough made people listen to you, Ino taught him that._

_"I'm not wrong." Sasuke scoffed and turned his attention back to the lab._

_"Yeah you are." the ponytailed boy objected. His hand had moved to the other boys shoulder and pulled him back to face him. It took quite a bit of effort for him to keep his fist from shattering his porcelain face. The amount of hate he held for the boy boiling inside him, yet he kept his face and tone even. No one would see him sweat._

_"Shikamaru let it go." Ino hissed from behind him. A small shake of his head was the response she received._

_"You should listen to the tease." Sasuke said with the slightest hint of a smirk. A tiny gasp escaped Ino's lips, and even though Chouji couldn't see he knew it brought a scowl to Shikamaru's face. Ino's cheeks burned with embarrassment as her peers watched the scene. It was humiliating to say the least._

_Suddenly their eyes were off her and turned to Sasuke, he had just gotten punched in the face. He was able to move enough to get his cheek hit instead of between his eyes like Shikamaru wanted though._

_"Nice hit." He smirked and rubbed his sweeping cheek. Mutters of disbelief filled the room at the fact Shikamaru and actually punched Sasuke. They didn't believe he had it in him, he didn't either. For a moment he felt pretty good about himself and then a feeling of doom settling upon him like a dark cloud. Sasuke was the start of every single sport and did martial arts as a hobby, that meant he was pretty much screwed._

_That feeling of being completely screwed was reassured when Sasuke pulled his one hand back for a punch. Shikamaru knew for a fact his reflexes weren't sharp enough to catch his wrist or block, Ino was behind him so he couldn't duck out of the way, so that left only one option; take a punch to the face. He braced himself for the impact. Like lightning an arm shot out firm behind him and wrapped around the wrist of the punch coming for him. The hand was too small to go around Sasuke's full wrist but it stopped the blow. The bracelet with a piglet charm gave away the owner, Ino Yamanaka._

_"Whoa, nice reflexes." Sasuke replied, he was actually impressed. He easily pulled his wrist out of her grasp and once again rubbed his sore cheek. Their teacher has finally taken notice and was hurrying towards them. Shikamaru stared at Ino with widened eyes because of her razor sharp reflexes, they were almost frightening._

_Their teacher began questioning the boys to which they gave vague answers. Eventually she figured out the story and both boys got stuck with a week of detention. But when he marched them down to the principal's office Shikamaru shot one last look at Ino, and winked. Just like that they went back to their usual routine like the last year hadn't happened. They both knew they had each other's backs through thick and thin._

"So what do I do?" Shikamaru questioned after another failed call.

"You could write her a poem professing your undying love for her." Chouji suggested too seriously.

"Hell no!"

"A song professing your undying love for her?"

"Oh god no!"

"Write a screenplay to profess your undying love for her."

"No, no, and for good measure no. Can you give me some good ideas?" Shikamaru groaned from the passenger seat of Chouji's car. Chouji was suppose to be a good advice giver after all. "You could go to her house and-" Chouji began,

"If you say profess my undying love for I will jump out of this car."

"I was going to say just talk it out in person. She can't avoid you there." Chouji finished with a roll of his eyes.

"I don't think that's a good idea, she might throw something at me." Shikamaru objected with a shudder. Something about surprising an upset Ino didn't sit well with him.

"Well that's where I'm driving you to, so feel free to jump out of the car if you want." Chouji smirked.


	34. Chapter 34

"Hey mom did you and dad ever you know_ do it_ while you were pregnant with me?" Ino asked curiously. The idea had been floating in her mind whenever she thought about her predicament. The thought of them having sex at all still weirded her out but if they hadn't the world wouldn't have been blessed with her. Was it even possible to have sex while pregnant? It wasn't like she had the desire to find out, but she just couldn't shake it. When she compared her two relationships it really opened her eyes.

One was a typical high school relationship and the other was on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. With Sai she could go on dates and be as intimate as she wanted. She never let it go all the way but she would be lying if she hadn't considered the idea at one point. Making out was good enough for them so they stuck to it. No one glared at them or scoffed insults when they walked by. Instead they got these knowing looks from adults and looks of envy from peers. And hell she could go outside and not have her stomach drop. No one batted an eyelash at them. It seemed like a dream now.

Then there was her relationship with Shikamaru. It was nowhere near a typical high school romance but not mature enough to be an adult one either. It was just kind of stuck in the middle. She wasn't even sure if she would be in said relationship if they hadn't had that awkward sex. Ino doubted it lasted more than a minute, it was that uncomfortable. How she got pregnant with that lame excuse of making love was beyond her. Sure they could kiss and cuddle, just in private. Their "dates" consisted of a movie on one of their couches and eating whatever Ino was craving that day. Their kisses got less passionate as the bump grew. It's not that they hadn't stopped wanting those passionate moments, that damn bump just wouldn't allow it. They learned that no matter how they positioned themselves, it would never work. The constant kicking of their baby didn't help much either. Making out was like a distant relic of their past. Now they shared quick pecks on the lips and continued the random movie on tv.

As much as Ino wanted their relationship to go back to those first few weeks when no one even knew she was pregnant, she knew it was impossible. She didn't fit perfectly into his side like before. His arms could not go around her waist to pull her closer. They now lay side by side on his bed instead of her curled up into him as he lavished her with kisses. Their kisses never left that innocent middle school phase like they used to. She no longer could straddle his waist and press their bodies together as he felt the soft skin under her top. He couldn't even get into one of his very rare dominant moods and get on top of her, he could only strain himself so much.

It was by no means a normal type of high school relationship. The baby in her belly proved that. They couldn't be normal teenagers anymore, they had a baby to take care of in only a few short months. They had to be mature and responsible. Their silly bickering now escalated due to all the stress on their shoulders. Ino knew that for sure. It put a knot in her stomach when she wondered if that would be routine for them. What if they did fight all the time like those dysfunctional families on TV? How would that affect their child, Ino was sure it wouldn't be healthy.

"Of course we did." Her mother answered bluntly. Ino arched an eyebrow at her mother. She didn't expect that. "Seriously?"

"Yep, sure we did it less frequently but we certainly didn't stop. Well we did when we got to the third trimester. It would've been hellish." Her mother continued. Now that was more of the answer Ino expected. She was already well into her third trimester and she agreed that those passionate moments would be much too troublesome.

"So that's what is going on in that head of yours huh?" Her mother added with a wicked grin. Ino couldn't argue with that one.

"Just use protection when that baby is out. I don't want a second grandchild anytime soon." She warned in a much more serious tone. Her eyes were now fully focused on Ino, daring her for some immature remark. She already felt old enough, but having a grandchild made her feel absolutely ancient. Having two and she would be in a hospital bed.

"Of course we will! We learned our lesson." Ino snapped back. Oh they definitely did learn that lesson. She had the evidence.

"I still can't believe Shikamaru had it in him. I thought he'd be a virgin forever. Because going through all that effort would be, oh word does he use all the time?"

"Troublesome." Ino answered automatically.

"Ah yes that's right. So what got into you to anyway? I always thought he had a little crush on you but I had no idea you reciprocated. You were with Sai after all." Her mom continued. She had saved these questions since the moment she found out her own daughter was pregnant, she was just polite enough to wait until the initial shock was over.

"I don't really know, it just happened out of nowhere. One minute we were reading a textbook then we were kissing and then we just did it. I don't even think it should count as sex though, it was barely a minute and then we were done. And my god it was so uncomfortable, we regretted it the minute it was over." Ino sighed. It was mortifying to say out loud. Knowing her mother more questions would follow anyway.

"Honey the first time is never fun. It's just a mess of limbs. But I still don't get why you two were even kissing in the first place."

"He kissed me, and well I didn't really stop him. I didn't even think about Sai, just only Shikamaru. It seemed so natural too, like we had done it hundreds of times before." Ino explained and the cheesiness of it made her inwardly cringe. But it was what she felt and didn't know how to put it into any other words.

"Well had you ever kissed before?" Her mother persisted.

"Well technically yes but it was for a dare so it hardly counts." Ino answered after thinking for a moment. Yes, she did count it as her first kiss but she wasn't about to tell her mother that.

Ino thanked the gods that their doorbell had rung before her mother could continue her pestering. She then cursed them when she saw spiky brown hair from the small window on their door. She had decided she was still pissed at him for their fight. Well actually she was pissed for another reason. When she had tried to apologize he had rejected her call, so now she ignored his many calls for payback.

"Mom don't answer the door." Ino ordered and hid in their kitchen. Maybe he'd fall for it and think she wasn't home. Her mother continued to wash the dishes from their dinner without questioning her. She already knew who Ino was avoiding.

"You can't avoid him forever Ino." She scolded.

"It's only been a few days." Ino shot back. He totally deserved it. If he hadn't been such a jerk about everything then they would've made up already.

"I'm just saying typically in a relationship you don't want to avoid and ignore your partner." Her mother responded and grabbed a rag to dry the now clean dishes. The doorbell rang again. Ino took a step forward before retreating back to spot. Maybe if he rang again.

"_Ino_." Her mother warned. Ino's feet were still planted in place, she just needed that third ring. That way she wouldn't even need an apology, she would know he really was ready to put the effort in to make her happy. Then everything would go back to the way it was. All she got was silence. She felt her lips turn into a frown as she grabbed a plate to dry.

"You know he won't make the effort if he thinks it's a lost cause. He'll just give up." Her mother said all too cryptically and left a pile of dishes for Ino as she walked into the living room. Ino focused her energy on making each dish as dry as a desert. She didn't want her mind to focus on anything else.

"Why don't you just apologize?" Her mother called when her task was finished. Ino sulked into the living room and sunk on the coach beside her. Maybe she had a point. Her mother looked up from her magazine and quirked an eyebrow, waiting for a response.

"But then it will be like I lost." Ino objected. She despised losing.

"Some battles aren't worth winning." Her mother replied, her eyes returned their focus to the magazine.

Ino let out a deep exhale and marched up to her room. Maybe she wasn't really admitting defeat, she just had to keep telling herself that. But if Shikamaru ignored her call there would be hell to pay. She grabbed her cellphone from its spot on her endtable and hit the 1, it was his speed-dial. She waited and was about to hang up until his monotone greeted her on the other side.

"Well it was about time. You know I came to your house but I guess you weren't home." He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He didn't fall for her absent trick, she figured he wouldn't. She had to take a deep breath to calm the eruption she desperately wanted to have.

"I'm not going to apologize if you're going to be such a smart ass." She scoffed. Apologizing was hard enough, if he was going to be his usual self then it would be impossible.

"Fine I'll be nice."

"Thank you. Now I'm going to say this once, I'm s-sor-sorry." She choked out after a deep breath. She really thought the words would slip out off her tongue, not stay glued. She heard him chuckle ever so softly on the other line and scowled.

"You know I'm sorry too. You know Chouji made up this whole speech for me to say but someone didn't answer the door. I even bought a little stuffed bear." He replied. His voice seemed to drip with tiredness. Ino peered over at her clock and saw it was eight at night, a typical bedtime for him. She was surprised his phone was still even on. Usually he turned it off so he wouldn't be disrupted.

"Hey Ino?" He questioned. Ino couldn't hear his usual monotone, maybe it got lost in the static. "Yeah?"

"You know how much I love you and our baby right?" He continued, she was positive his monotone was gone. Of course Ino knew he loved them, he didn't need to say it. He wasn't that great with words anyway. He showed it through his actions. Sure he wasn't going to pull out some grand romantic gesture, but he'd do more subtle things. Like when she was still staying at his house while her room was getting fixed, and everynight he'd wait until he thought she was asleep and kiss both her and her belly. Of course she always stayed up long enough to feel it and the let herself sleep.

"Of course I do, I feel the same way." She answered automatically. She didn't even need to hesitate on her answer. She heard him yawn before mumbling an embarrassed goodbye and hanging up. Ino replayed his last sentence in her head and couldn't push an uneasy feeling away. Like there was something else he meant to say but changed his mind.


	35. Chapter 35

Ino had decided her baby better an angel when it comes out of her, for all the torture it was putting her through. She had to stay home from school that day since its little feet were just going at it. She couldn't go ten minutes without getting kicked, and not very gently either. There was just no end to it! Did it really hate her this much? She wondered if it would be born deaf because it seemed immune to her constant grunts and moans of pain. Her mother nearly stayed home with her because she was that worried. Shikamaru was too but there was no way in hell Ino would let him skip school. So she switched between sitting and laying on her sofa as some game show played on the television in front of her. At this point she had even tried bargaining with the unborn child.

"Alright if you stop kicking me, I will spoil you rotten when you come out." She begged. She was rewarded with another bombard of kicks. A frown now marred her usually perky face. Her fair complexion now looked almost sickly. Those dark circles had resurfaced as well. Their baby was really making her stretch the love she had for it.

"Ouch! Fine I'll sing you a lullaby or something, or I'll rub some lotion on my belly. Would you like that?" She continued in a light whisper. Ino figured a softer voice might make her pleas stand a better chance against the bastard baby. Two horse kicks stabbed her gut in response._ Is that a yes or a no?_ Ino had no idea, maybe questioning their son wasn't the her brightest idea.

"You know if you keep acting up like this then I'll have to miss a lot of school and I need my education if you want a good future. It's a chain reaction." Ino explained with a deep sigh. Her baby didn't kick to that. If the pain in her stomach was more bearable then she might've laughed. Of course their child would be nice if it benefitted him.

Ino wondered what traits their child would inherit. Would he be determined like her, or lazy like Shikamaru? What if he got Shikamaru's smartass personality instead of her assertive and bubbly one. Would he be a genius or just smart. Ino figured both she and Shikamaru were kind to others so he would probably get that trait. The child in her dream seemed adorable enough. He had a little genius mind but loved sleeping like Shikamaru. He was sweet and loved giving and receiving affection like her. Sure he was quite attached to her, something dream Shikamaru didn't like. But she had no problem with that. She loved her cuddling. Especially when those large blue eyes of his peered up at her. Maybe his eyes will actually be brown and narrow like his father's, but that wouldn't stop her from showing him with hugs. He might inherit her blonde hair instead of the brown shade in the dream. Ino was absolutely sure no matter who their child looked more like, he would be one beautiful baby.

The smile that had formed on her face after thinking about their baby quickly faded when said baby gave her a rough kick. What was the matter with him?

"Okay can you please just settle down for me, your mommy, please." She pleaded once again. Her hand rubbed her belly in an effort to soothe him like rubbing a back would to her. By some magical force, at least that's what Ino thought, her baby let up his little attack.

She continued to trace patterns, her finger was dancing across her belly as invisible circles covered her baby bump. Being alone with her baby was oddly calming to her. She had tuned out the show on her television by that point. The pain had numbed her to the rest of the world. The living room was completely silent to her, not eerie or creepy like it usually was. It was almost therapeutic. Her baby was finally relaxing which made her even more tranquil. Small hums escaped her lips as she let her eyes shut. She felt her eyelashes brush against her cheek bones as she did so.

It was September so the weather was cooling and that meant she could get her cozy clothes out of her closet. Her sleep shorts and tank top were traded out for nightgowns and soft pajama sets. Her skin was covered in plush pink pajamas from her neck to her toes. Her mother thought the panda print on her pants was childish, but Ino couldn't bare to part with them. Even if they were a bit short on her. That was what her fuzzy socks were for, they were like a pillow for her feet. For the maximum amount of warmth Ino had burrowed herself deep under a patchwork blanket. Maybe she was overdoing it slightly but at least she was in comfy clothing as her baby decided to throw a little tantrum inside her.

Even her couch now seemed soft as a cloud. Normally she couldn't bear the lumpy cushions or the strange cat smell that never went away after she had brought a stray cat in when there was a downpour. Now she realized why her mother had screeched for to get it out of their house. The pillows weren't meant to be slept on, it was more for decoration apparently, but that didn't stop her from resting her head on them. When they were stacked they were a bit more comfortable to lay on.

Her eyelids felt like thirty pound weights were on them. The sensation of her eyelashes on her face had disappeared and a sense of tranquility washed over her. She hadn't gotten more than an hour or two of sleep the night prior, she would've glared at the baby if her eyes weren't so heavy. The scent of wet cat no longer wafted in her nose and her baby seemed to understand the idea of calmness. The lumps on the cushions seemed to smooth over and the rough pillows seemed to be made of feathers. The old couch that her mother contemplated getting rid of for years was now the most luxurious bed Ino had ever laid on.

* * *

When her eyes opened she wasn't on the couch in her living room. She wasn't in her living room at all, not any room she had recognized before. It was eerily familiar to the last dream when she woke up someplace new. _Is this seriously happening again, I don't need another dream to tell me what to do. Maybe this is going to be a reoccurring thing. _

No child calling for her was present like the last dream though. She had just woken up normally. When she turned to her side there was no one beside her. _Shikamaru was beside me last time. What is this place anyway. _

Just out of the corner of her eye she saw something twitch on the other side of bed. Blonde hair smacked her face when she whipped her hair abruptly to the side. There she saw little limbs sprawled out like a starfish connected to a slumbering face. She recognized it instantly as the boy from her other dream. His messy brown hair masked most of his features. By his side was a little stuffed pig toy that he might've been holding before he fell asleep. The little fire trucks on his pajamas moved up and down as his chest rose and fell evenly. He seemed to have the same size as before so maybe he was the same age.

_So there you are little guy. Now where the hell is Shikamaru? _She didn't have anytime to investigate because the little boy beside her was now beginning to stir. The neon green numbers on the clock still said it was well into the night so she couldn't imagine why such a sleep loving boy was starting to wake. Ino's whole body went still so she wouldn't disturb the young boy, he needed his sleep after all.

His small frame shifted onto one side now facing her. The little pig toy trapped under his belly. His petite hand was so close to Ino that she desperately wanted to reach out and hold it in hers. _But that could wake him up._ So she remained solid as a rock as she watched her child fidget in his sleep.

Without warning those electric blue eyes of his shot open and blinked twice at her. A large smile warmed up his whole face as he crept closer to her. His hands now clasped that small pig as he settled himself in her open arms.

"Good morning mama." He yawned. His eyes never left her face as he scanned it curiously_. I swear this baby is so cute I could die. _

"It's not morning yet kiddo." Ino corrected and smoothed the hair away from his eyes. _What am I supposed to call him? Sweetie, Cutie, Baby? Shikamaru called him kiddo so maybe that works._ His eyes departed her face and looked around the room and saw the dark shadows. He nodded to affirm he knew his mistake.

"You should be sleeping." She scolded with a small wag of her finger. A devilish grin exposed his tiny and slightly crooked teeth,as his eyes twinkled with mischief. It was like he enjoyed breaking the rules.

"But I'm waiting for daddy." He replied and let those blue orbs of his stare up at her. She couldn't scold him when he looked so innocently at her. Just to assure she wouldn't be able to reprimand him he snuggled deeper into her side. _This kid is a mini evil genius. He must've gotten that from Shikamaru. Speaking of him, where is he? _

"Where is daddy?" Ino questioned.

"I don't know. He is late a lot. That means I get to sleep by you until he puts me in my bed." The boy answered nonchalantly. _It's like a routine to him isn't it? _Something made Ino's stomach uncomfortable, like something was very wrong. _His job probably makes him work late. Yeah that must be it. _

Her eyes couldn't tear away from the neon numbers that nearly blinded her due to their contrast on the dark room. It was much too late for working unless he had some sort of night shift at a bar or something. But she knew he would never do that. He would despise it to no end.

"I see. Do you know what your daddy does for work?" She asked. _Maybe I can get some information from this kid. This dream isn't making any sense. Well neither did the last one until the very end, but that means I'll be stuck here for awhile. _

"He has a a lot of paper. It makes him...um, hey mama what word means mad?"

"Well there's a lot. Annoyed, irritated, angry, are any of those it?" She tried to answer. It was hard for a word as broad as mad. The boy shook his head and tendrils of brown hair fell onto his face. "I think like that word with the A." He replied. Ino could practically see the clockwork going on in his head as he thought of the correct word. It was something very Ino like to do. She was awful at remembering synonyms.

"Hm, well bugged, or grumpy-"

"That's it!" He cheered. _So his job makes him grumpy, typical enough for him. He also said he had a lot of paper, like paperwork? That doesn't really narrow anything down. _

"Do you know anything else? Ino continued to pester. She wanted to get out of this bizarre dream and back to the real issues at hand in reality. There were many to choose from, like the baby kicking or the air of mystery around her boyfriend. She always knew what he was thinking, she was the spontaneous one in their relationship. She could read him easier than a book, it took no effort at all. So what was the matter with him? It was like he had some sort of secret to keep from her. He always sounded cryptic when she questioned him on it and called her troublesome.

"Uh, he do not eat breakfast with us." He added after a long period of thinking. _So his job starts early?_

"Does not, not do not." She corrected his grammatical mistake automatically. All those years of English classes had worked after all. Under his breath she heard him mutter "does not" over and over. It made her lips curl in a smile. She remembered doing that whenever she needed to remember a word or phrase back when she was his age.

"Does he work a lot?"

"Yes." _Well that doesn't sound like him. _

"Do I work a lot?"

"Until five nanny says. Is that a lot?" _So I think I have a normal job._

"Depends on the day. Do you think I work too much?"

"You do not work some days." He answered bluntly, like it was such a common question. _Definitely a normal job, but I don't care about my job. I want to know Shikamaru's._

The sound of a door unlocking made Ino's spine chill and the boy scurry to the other side of the bed and return to his starfish position. His eyes shut immediately. Tentatively Ino sat up and stared at her closed bedroom door, she assumed it was a bedroom. Cold air hit her shoulders now that the blanket didn't provide her any warmth. Footsteps were coming closer, they were so soft Ino had to strain her ears to hear them. Her breathing was getting faster with each footstep. _Is a killer coming for me. Am I going to die? Is this dream really going to end with me being killed? _

She held in most of her scream so only a small squeak came out when slowly creaked open. She recognized the shadowy figure immediately and her heart rate instantly calmed. _Yeah Shikamaru does seem more practical than a killer._ She inwardly cursed at her dumb mind.

"Did I wake you?" His lazy drawl asked. His tone was more annoyed than concerned and was dripping with exasperation. He moved towards their son stealthily so he wouldn't wake him. His mouth twitched down, and Ino swore she saw a flicker of remorse in his eyes before they became closed off again. His arms were clad in a crisp white button down, his green tie was loose and hung limply around his neck. Brown dress shoes clad his feet and pressed black pants kept his legs from being bare. Small strands of brown hair were loose from his tight ponytail and they fell into his eyes when he bent down to scoop up the little boy. Their son was dwarfed in his arms.

"Oh, no I was already awake." She objected. She felt so nervous around him, like she had to choose each word with precise before thought. It seemed like she would only be a nuisance to him. His exterior was cold as stone and hadn't even glanced at her. Ino never found nervous around except for very few occasions. Most of which involved her pregnancy. Even so those were only butterflies in her stomach. The feeling in the pit of her stomach made her feel weak. It felt like mountains of guilt were sitting on her shoulders even though she hadn't done anything wrong. At least she thought she hadn't.

He gave a grunt of acknowledgement and whisked their child out of the room. It felt like hours before he returned empty handed. His feet took him to a dark corner of the room, so dark that it was like he vanished. What seemed like more hours pasted before he came back, now dressed in pajamas. It was when he laid beside her that he saw his face clearly. Bags are clearly under his eyes, stubble was forming on his chin, two deep wrinkles settled between his eyes by his nose, more faint lines settled on his forehead be under his eyes, his cheeks were ever so slightly sunken, but it was his eyes that made Ino cringe. They were always barely open and tired but that was multiplied by a thousand. He looked so beyond exhausted it was terrifying, she wanted him to just close those eyes and sleep for years if he had to. His eyes were so vacant that Ino couldn't read the emotion behind them. If there was any.

"Shikamaru..." She heard herself whisper. Her hand held his and he didn't hold hers back. It laid limp in her soft grasp and he turned his head up to look up at the ceiling. His hair was completely loose from his ponytail and hung to his shoulders.

"I'm tired Ino." He groaned and slipped his hand away. _I can see that very clearly captain obvious. Why are you doing this to yourself? _Before she had the chance to reach for him again he was turned on his side away from her. Her hand stayed in the vast empty space between them like a lost puppy.

"Why are you overworking yourself like this?" Ino asked to his back. She received no answer. "Shikamaru I asked you a question."

"You know how much I love you and our baby right?" He answered vaguely. _He's said that before hasn't he? Like those exact words, crap what were we talking about back then? _

"Yes I do but that doesn't answer my question." replied Ino. _Seriously when did we have this conversation before? _

"Actually it does."

"You don't have to work so much, I have a job too you know." She tried to assure.

"Yes I do. And yes your job is very nice. Makes good money too. But I'm not going to make you do all the work as far as finances go. I've got to be able to provide everything, everything you and our kid want. That's why I can't just have a humble job that makes a fair income. It can't be easy because easy jobs don't make money." He snapped back. His monotone wasn't present anymore, but some other tone had replaced it. It was frustrating that Ino couldn't think of the proper word for it.

_His answer seems like the answer to another question, what the hell was it? I don't think we were fighting, or maybe we were. He's been acting so weird lately it's hard to tell when he said something so sappy. I mean he is so determined about school which is so strange. He never did tell me why._

_Oh, now I get it. So that is what this whole dream is about. Man these weird family dreams are actually really good at giving advice and guidance. They're still creeping me out though._

* * *

Ino woke up to a lumpy couch after her baby decided he was done being a good boy. The aroma of her favorite candle that smelled like autumn almost cancelled out the cat odor. One pillow was on the floor and her neck would hurt like a bitch soon enough. Her eyes had to adjust to the dimmed lighting of her living room. Sunlight didn't shine through the windows anymore. Night had fallen over Konoha. According to the clock she had been asleep for six hours. When she reached to grab her phone off the table she saw her mother and Shikamaru had left some messages over that period of time.

Ino tried to sit up but her baby had other plans so she went back to a defeated laying position. Another blanket had been placed over her, one of those hand knit ones. Her mother told her it was her grandmother's favorite hobby.

"Hey mom are you there?" She called. She figured someone had to light the candle and hopefully they wouldn't leave it boring while she was fast asleep. Her mother was the best bet. Besides she didn't usually take the night shift at the flower shop either.

"No it's me." Shikamaru answered instead and entered the room. His school uniform was still on. It made Ino when he ever took it off. That thought got quickly pushed back by her dream. That uneasy feeling came over her again but she still managed a smile to brighten her face.

"How are you feeling?" He questioned. His tone was the polar opposite of his dream counterpart.

"Well the little monster gave me a hard time for awhile. But I'm not feeling too bad now." Ino replied. She took a moment to send a warning glare at the unborn child before looking back at him.

"You were totally out when I came here after school." He chuckled and smoothed away the bangs that had spread across her face.

"Who'd you get here? The door want unlocked was it!" Ino gasped. Was she in that much pain that she had forgotten to secure her house. What if someone had robbed it while she was in that cryptic dreamland.

"I went to the flowershop first and your mom gave me her key. She said she wanted to me to watch you because the night shift girl called in sick. My job was easy though, you know with you snoring away and all. I got all my homework done for today." He reassured after seeing her widened eyes. Although he wouldn't put it past her to leave herself completely vulnerable in an unlocked house. He blamed it on her clumsiness.

The last part made her nerves heighten, something was so wrong with what he was saying. It didn't even seem like him. Maybe that was what the dream was trying to tell her. Man she really could've used these dreams earlier in her pregnancy, it would have been so much easier.

"Hey Shikamaru there's something we need to talk about."


	36. Chapter 36

_"Hey Shikamaru there's something we need to talk about."_

Maybe it was the assertiveness in Ino's tone that made his stomach drop. It could've been her straight posture a couch cushion away from him. Or maybe it was that despite the confidence she was trying to portray, he could tell she was nervous.

Still he took a seat in his usual slouched position and stared back at her. Ino's soft blue eyes were almost focused on him, they just missed his eyes and looked at his forehead instead. The blankets that she had slept under were now wrapped around her body like a cocoon. Even her baby bump was hidden beneath them. The lack of body language out him at a disadvantage, it was his usual way to understand Ino. With that being hidden he would have to pay attention to every word she spoke.

"Alright," he started slow and cautiously.

"Do you remember when that fight ended and you said, and I quote, _You know how much I love you and our baby right_?" Ino replied, her eyes still focused on his tanned forehead. He nodded quickly. Oh, he remembered those words exactly.

"What did you mean?" Ino asked. The mass of blankets shifted with her as she turned her body to face his instead of the television set. Her blue orbs now were looking into his narrow brown ones.

"Nothing really, just wanted to make sure you two knew that." Shikamaru replied with a shrug. He knew he had to play it off as nonchalantly as possible or Ino would know he was lying. Well sort of lying, more like covering up the truth. Her lips pursed and and an eyebrow quirked, she was on to him.

"You're not that sappy usually." She said. The skepticism in her voice was heavy and her eyebrow had not lowered. Sometimes Shikamaru really wished she didn't know him as well as she did. It was very troublesome, and a little scary too. Granted he knew her just as well but he saw no problem with that. With someone as spontaneous as Ino, you had to know them like the back of your hand. That way you wouldn't be caught completely off guard.

"I have my moments." He objected. Sure they were as rare as Chouji eating healthy, but they existed. He has said he loved her before. He had said the same to their child. What was the difference?

"It just seemed...fake. Like you were hiding something." Ino continued. She had inched herself closer with the face of a detective. Shikamaru knew he was not going to get out of this one. He needed some way to explain it.

"It wasn't fake. I would never lie about that."

"I know, it just seemed like it. Which is strange since you're a lot of things, but I don't think fake is one of them." She explained. Ino knew she was getting into the accusing territory. It really wasn't her attention but sometimes Shikamaru made it so easy.

"That's because I'm not." Shikamaru snapped. He knew he was getting defensive, and that was only going to make Ino pester him more. "I knew that." She sighed.

"Then why are you bringing all this up?" He questioned. He swore they were not going to make progress anytime soon.

"Because you've been acting like a different person lately. You've always tried to dodge confrontations and questions. Now it's like you're trying to bury them. You're more defensive than usual, which should say a lot. And the only time you'll answer me is with something cryptic." Ino began. She paused to catch her breath due to the rapid speech. He only nodded since he was well aware she wasn't done.

"At first I thought maybe you were just stressed or mad at me about something. So I backed off. But the more I thought about it, the more it didn't make sense. I haven't done anything wrong, at least I don't think I have." She continued. Again he only nodded, her little rant still was incomplete. Shikamaru figured it would be easier to let her get everything out and then answer her. She might snap at him otherwise.

"But the most out of character thing is your new determination about school. I thought I'd be glad about it. I've been pushing it for years but you never listened to me. But this came out of nowhere. One day you pushed your backpack to the side and took a nap instead of doing homework. The next day notes and homework made your room a mess. And you were so focused on it that it was your only priority. At first I was happy about it and so proud of you. But then it seemed more like an obsession. It actually scared me." Ino finally finished and let her eyebrow drop. Instead her eyebrows had lowered into a concerned expression. If the blankets around her weren't so comfortable, she would've reached out to touch him. Yet she knew that probably wouldn't have helped her "answer me dammit" exterior.

Shikamaru didn't nod his head or mutter troublesome under his breath. He didn't sigh or groan while rubbing the nape of his neck. His eyes didn't avert away from her. The slouch in his posture didn't deepen or straighten. All his usual signs when Ino got into one these moods weren't present.

Instead he frowned in remorse with his eyes glued to her now concerned face. His hands were deep in his pockets and his slouch remained facing her. She was waiting for any type of response, and he was going to give her one. Not a nod or groan, but a complete sentence, maybe even a couple of them.

"Well, um yeah I know," Just give him a minute first. This time she nodded and waited patiently for him to continue. Well start more than continue. She could see the gears turning in his head about what to say. It was his same face when he was calculating his next move in shoji. Not only was he thinking about what to say, but what to continue with and all her comebacks. That part about him hadn't changed at least.

"You were right about the stressed part. I was even more stressed than I thought I guess. And you were also right about you doing nothing wrong. Sorry for making you think that. I was pretty defensive I guess but it wasn't on purpose. Well it kinda was but I was going to tell you about some other time. That's why I was so cryptic apparently." He finally explained. His voice had a hesitant feeling to it but he said everything he wanted to. He paused to take a breath and didn't wait for Ino's response.

"Then about school, yeah that must've been weird for you. Probably for everyone actually. The thing is college's won't want me like they will you. I know you won't have a problem. Your grades are practically perfect, and the amount of clubs you are in would exhaust any other person. I'm the complete opposite, my grades suck and the only clubs I've done are the ones you've forced me into. I'm screwed." He sighed. He was thankful that his hands were in his pockets, he didn't want Ino to see them in tight fists. Knowing his unfortunate future made him feel like he was in quicksand.

"But you could go to a community college or something for a year or two and then apply to a university. I'm sure you'd get accepted if you did that." Ino offered. She already figured he'd have to go down that route. She already pamphlets of schools nearby for him. If he wasn't so upset about it she would've said I told you so. He scoffed when she made him do activities or drag him to tutoring sessions. She was just trying to help him, not be troublesome.

"Yeah I know, but then I'll be useless." He grumbled bitterly. His dark eyes had finally detached from Ino's worried face. Now he stared at her doorway contemplating if running out of it would be worth it. No, it wouldn't. But it sure as hell would be easier.

"What are taking about?" Ino inquired. She wondered why she wants only now hearing about his moral dilemma.

"When you're done with college and have a good job, which we both know is a fact, I'll still have at least a year of college left to do. Probably two actually. It's hard to get a good job when you're still a student. I'll probably get stuck being a store clerk or waiter. Either way those jobs aren't enough to live on, especially with a kid. That means you'll be stuck with this burden that I can't help."

"But that's okay. It's like you said when I'm done, I'll have a good job. Good enough for us to live on until you graduate. When you do graduate I'm sure you'll have a great job too, anyone would that genius brain of yours. So even if you only make a little money before then, it's better than nothing." Ino replied. She untangled herself from the large mass of blankets and sat directly beside him. He was a fingering figure to her and she assumed it went both ways. She at least hoped it did.

"But I don't want that. I want to give you and our baby everything and I don't want to wait who knows how many years to do that. I should be able to take care of you easily, but I messed that up. My dad did it so easily, and he was just as lazy as I am. He was able to take care of himself, my mother, and me. He was our main provider, yet money was never an issue. I always wanted to be like him, but I'm not even close." He said, ashamed.

He had never said it before but Shikaku was his idol. Sure he was a pushover and had a habit of drinking one beer too many. But he was a great guy to everyone. He spent most of life protecting people, even ones he didn't know. That was his job as cop. He was brave and brilliant. He always made time to play a round of shoji with Shikamaru or teach him a new strategy in go. According to Ino and Chouji he was also an amazing uncle, more like a second father to them.

"You've got remember our situation isn't like your dad's. He got married to Yoshino when they were twenty six I think she said. They had you three years later. By then they were pretty well off and had a handle on life. We aren't lucky like that. I'm pregnant now and we'll be seventeen. By the time we go to our colleges we'll be a a month from being eighteen. The only reason we're seniors now is because our parents were so persistent for us to be in the same grade as Chouji. Technically our birthdays should make us juniors. We shouldn't be parents but we're going to be and that can't be helped." Ino attempted to justify.

It won't be easy and probably not nearly as stable as they would like, but it would be manageable. But they already expected that, being teen parents wasn't going to be easy at all. Their parents chose when to have children and they still weren't prepared. Shikamaru and Ino were just kids. They shouldn't be having one, much less raising it. But that was out of their hands.

"And I wouldn't want you to take care of me. I'm not helpless you know. We should share the burden. Do it fifty-fifty. It doesn't matter if you have to wait a year to do your share, I don't care. In fact it might actually be a blessing. If you go to a community college close to Konoha then you'll have less classes and more time to take care of our baby when I can't. I want to be with our child but I can't be in Konoha, it's just too much for me. This way I'll visit at every chance, which trust me will be very often, and you'll always be with him." Ino continued before Shikamaru could reply. She found it really odd, yet extremely satisfying that she was the logical one. She rarely was the one coming up with solutions to their problems. That was Shikamaru's job.

"I guess I hadn't thought of that. I still don't like it. The man is supposed to take care of the woman-"

"Cut the sexist crap, we aren't living in the eighteen hundreds. Those views are so old they should be in a grave." Ino huffed and smacked him on the shoulder. His sexist views got on her nerves to no end. She blamed it on his mother, he did too.

"I'm just being chivalrous, you don't have to be so mean about it." He pouted and rubbed his sore shoulder. She did know how to hit like someone twice her size. It was a frightening fact about her.

"No you're being chauvinist." She corrected. She looked up that word after he accused her of using the word sexist too often. It was harsher than she wanted it to be, but it worked well enough.

"That's beside the point Ino, and for the record I'm not. I'm just saying I want to be able to provide for you. And as of right now and the next few years, I won't be able to. But I guess being close to our baby is just as important. Maybe community college isn't as bad as I thought." He replied. His smile was on of secret proudness for her, only she would be able to make plans that worked so functionally. He needed someone like that in his life. Luckily for him he had the perfect girl to do that.

"I'll be close too. Hopefully within an hour. Two maximum. I want to be able to spend weekends and Friday nights with my family. Well I want to be with my family all the time, but I just can't be in Konoha. Our son needs our mothers to take care of him when he's gone so being in Konoha is inevitable." Ino sadly stated. It already broke her heart to think about it. But Konoha just brought her misery, she wasn't strong enough to stay there. It wasn't like it would miss her either.

"It's okay Ino, I already knew you weren't planning on staying here. I'm glad about it too, a fresh start will be good for you." He said. In truth he never planned to stay in Konoha either, but it was much more bearable for him. As soon as he could however, he would be out of that village for good. Ino just needed to get out first.

"You're sure?"

"Of course. Just make sure you keep a picture of our kid with you. Maybe that would keep the guys from hovering around you." Shikamaru said, a hint of jealousy in his voice. That point was furthered when he brought his arm around her as if boys were already eyeing her.

"That won't keep them away, you know how boys are." Ino objected with a knowing eyebrow raise. She secretly didn't mind his jealously, it was kinda cute sometimes. She especially loved when he tried to hide it but failed miserably. This was one of those times.

"You know you really didn't have to tell me that." He groaned and brought his other arm, now completely holding her in a protective hold. Yes, this was definitely one of those times.

"Why? Are you jealous?" Ino teased and poked his chest to further it.

"What if you told them you had a boyfriend that would kick their asses if they tried anything?" He offered, entirely dodging her question.

"Do I have one?" She questioned in an even more teasing manner. His quickly clustering face was a pure delight to her. "Of course you do." He scoffed.

"Nah, I think they'll still try. In fact they might see it as a challenge and try harder." Ino giggled. By then Shikamaru had turned his head away from her to hide his reddening face. Oh, he was jealous by now.


	37. Chapter 37

Ino could finally tell herself she used to school. She wasn't sure how accurate it was but she could tell herself it was. People stopped gawking at her as she walked down the halls. They greeted her politely and some even held conversations with her. No more snide comments were whispered about her while she was in earshot. She still figured at least some people still insulted her. Sakura probably did now that she had nearly made it to the top of Ino's social pyramid. Strangely Ino didn't mind that. Those people didn't have her back and moved onto Sakura in a heartbeat. She had her own friends that cared about her now. That was more important to her than popularity.

"Here are the notes you missed yesterday." Karin stated and passed Ino her notebook. Ino began to scribble them into hers with a gracious smile. She was really thankful for this girl. She needed at least one female friend in her life and Karin filled the role perfectly. She didn't push details about her pregnancy and changed the subject if someone did. She had the same study habits as Ino so she was the ideal study partner.

"I'm so glad it's Friday." Karin sighed contently.

"I know right. Weekends are the best." Ino agreed. It felt so strange for her to say. A year ago and would be indifferent to weekends. Sure she liked them since that meant less schoolwork but they were never relaxing. Her schedule was filled to the brim. She more often than not had a party to go to or a mall day with Sakura. The only time her weekend slowed were when she hung out with her two boys. Over time she spent less time with them and regretted it now. Still she made it a point to at least give them an hour of her time every Sunday. Usually that meant a movie at Shikamaru's with some popcorn.

Now she waited all week for them. They were her new paradise. It brought a smile to her face that she knew she had two days of relaxation. No one expected her to be a guest at their party and Sakura had Hinata to take to the mall. It was strangely appealing to her. She knew those expectations of her were lowered and she didn't have to pretend to be perfect. Her true colors could show like a rainbow instead of muted pastels.

Of course some days of no socialization were boring to her. There were only so many magazines to read and reality shows to watch. Seeing only Shikamaru and Chouji was also getting old. She loves them to death but having them as her only social life was less than thrilling. She needed to just spend an hour with someone new.

"Hey Karin what are doing this weekend?" Ino asked. The desperation in her voice was just barely hidden. Ino would be happy even if it was just doing their science homework together.

"Eh nothing really. Probably homework and studying for this history test I have on Monday. What about you?" The redhead shrugged. She never bothered with weekend plans either.

"Same. Hey, do you want to come over tomorrow? We could study or something." Ino offered after deciding to just go for it. She was the type to instigate plans after all.

"Sure but anything other than homework. I'm so sick of that stuff." Karin sniffed with a grin. Her weekends consisted of nothing but homework usually. There was no way she was going to do it when she cousin do something else. Hanging out with Ino sounded like heaven compared to her bland weekends.

They continued to chat in whispers while their teacher lectured them on some chemical Ino couldn't pronounce. Ino was overjoyed that they shared a love for romance movies, she hadn't watched one of those in months. Shikamaru refused to be the same room as her if one was playing. He said her constant gushing and crying were too troublesome, and there was also the fact he hated romance in every aspect. Well except for his current relationship. Chouji could only watch so much before he also got sick of them. She couldn't even bribe him with popcorn anymore. Since those were were her only friends other than Kiba and Naruto, neither of them could even sit through even the most action packed movie, that meant she had store them away. But now she had Karin and they could gush over the adorable couple and cry at the heartbreaking moments together. It would be perfect.

"See you later!." Ino called to Karin as they went opposite ways down the hallway. The redhead gave her an eager nod and a quick hand wave. A genuine smile was plastered on her face when she met Shikamaru slouching against the bleachers.

"Well aren't you perky?" He smirked and observed her much more joyful exterior. Her blue eyes weren't drained or tired, instead they had their usual electricity. She was standing straighter and with her usual confidence. Her skin was bright again. Her lips were shinier and pinker than normal, he figured she had applied her favorite lipgloss. Her face had been bare of cosmetics since they returned to school because she wasn't able to bother herself with it. Shikamaru couldn't have cared less, well he did like the way her lipgloss tasted. He did hate having to wipe it off his lips afterwards though. Chouji still mocks him about the time he forgot to and came to his house with a coat of pink gloss on his lips. However he knew how much she liked looking put together. She wore makeup for herself because she liked how it looked so seeing her without it was a rarity. Granted she usually kept it pretty light especially for school.

"Karin and I are hanging out this weekend." Ino stated matter-of-factly. On the inside she was jumping over rainbows, but she didn't want teases from Shikamaru about that fact. He'd probably give her plenty of snark over it.

"Poor her." He replied. His smirk had not faltered. He assumed if Ino was returning to her normal self then he could act the way he normally would've to her. Which was with sarcasm, snark, and snide remarks. He teased and joked but never crossed the line to the point she thought he was being serious. He just got a kick out of getting her riled up. Even though it was that side of her that he feared.

Shikamaru judged by her narrowed eyes she wasn't amused. He didn't think she would be. He contemplated taking it back or rolling with it. On one hand he would probably be able to avoid her fiery temper. On the other he missed that side of her extremely. He actually wanted to see it yet knew he episode regret it later.

"I mean the poor girl doesn't know what she's getting into." He continued despite her deepening frown. He was loving every minute of their walk to class. Her flustering face was enough for him barrage her with lighthearted teases. Which he doing with no point of stopping.

"You're going to make her watch those horrid romance movies aren't you?" He questioned. He knew her too well.

"She happens to like them actually." Ino shot back and quickened her pace. She knew Shikamaru would hate having to move his lazy legs out of their snail pace. It was her only piece of revenge.

"I bet she won't like your runny nose once the movie is over."

"Ugh, Shikamaru you're so annoying." Ino groaned and doubled her pace. He would have to practically sprint to keep up with her. She had to keep telling herself how great her weekend would be. That kept her from exploding on him.

"Wow, is that your best comeback?" He provoked in his monotones drawl. Honestly he was just asking to get slapped. Still she was keeping her cool because nothing was going to ruin her mood. Not even her snarky boyfriend who was coming dangerously close to doing so.

"You're a real jerk you know that?" Ino snapped once she got to her classroom. Shikamaru knew he could still push a few more buttons of hers since she was only frowning, not yet scowling. That was his cue to knock it off. The frown meant she was getting pissed but not hurt.

"You've told me that enough times before so I guess I am." He shrugged. Ino wondered if there was a tool to erase smirks because his was getting on her very last nerve. Still she didn't mind their banter like she usually did. It felt nostalgic to her.

"I think you're just jealous that I'm not going to spend time with you." Ino accused in an attempt to turn the table. His defensive sniff made her think it could've worked.

"Are you kidding me? I'm finally free." Shikamaru chuckled much to Ino's annoyance. That earned him a punch to the shoulder. Her pink lips were pursed in a tight line as her hands planted on her hips. Her foot lightly tapped as she waited for an apology. There was only so much of his sarcasm that she could handle at a time.

"Fine I'm sorry. Geez I was only joking." He sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He realized maybe he had layed his sarcasm on a little too thick.

"Wow, I'm so convinced." Ino scoffed in mock annoyance. It was her turn to mess with him. The little grin that broke through her scowl gave her act up though.

"Not everyone has the gift of sarcasm." He shrugged and peered at the clock in the hallway. He had roughly a minute to get to his next class. Ino shooed him away immediately after that. She was not going to let him be late. After all she was returning to her usual self.


	38. Chapter 38

Ino hadn't been this excited for a movie marathon since Shikamaru and Chouji gave her free rein over the selection for her tenth or ninth birthday. She made them endure the princess movies she hadn't grown out of and sappy romances that she barely understood. It was the ideal day for her and their nightmare. But today it would be her ideal day and Karin would hopefully be just as thrilled.

Karin was bringing over a movie that she was positive Ino had never seen. If it was in the romance genre then that would be impossible. Ino had even seen foreign films about romance. The genre was by far her favorite and she could watch them for days. Naturally this made Shikamaru and Chouji want to scream but every once in a while they let her pick one for them to watch. It had to have some other sort of element like comedy or thriller however. Even with those restrictions she was always content.

Ino found herself anxiously looking at her electric clock. The neon numbers seemed to be frozen. How long had it been 12:24? She was positive at least more than a minute. Karin was coming around one which meant Ino had more than half an hour to wait. She hated waiting, her impatience always got the best of her.

With an aggregated huff she rolled to the other side of her bed. The view from her window wasn't as calming as it had been. A massive oak tree used to stand proudly in front of it, and then it crashed through her wall. Her mother was still complaining about the repair bills. When autumn came around its leaves would be so warm to look at. Burnt oranges and crisp reds painted its branches. It was like looking at Autumn in a physical form and she loved it. It would've been something perfect to paint on a wide canvas. Sai had told that her before. She didn't disagree with that.

Now she could see the cloudy sky and the bland house next door. All signs of nature had disappeared from her view. It made her heart hurt just a little. Nature was something her father adored and passed the trait onto her. It was like remembering all the times they had walked through forests or nature trails when she was younger. That single tree was like a crystal ball into her last memories. It pained her to see it go, and that it left such a wreckage when it did.

When she rolled back onto the other side of her bed she saw only two measly minutes had passed. Her lips turned downwards at her clock before raising herself into a sitting position. That was getting harder to do as her due date drew nearer. Apparently her baby bump was an extra twenty to thirty pounds. She learned that after searching random pregnancy facts on one of her sleepless nights. She got it from some "super fancy doctor site with that .edu ending". She liked to call it that because of how intelligent it tried to sound with all its terms that Ino cousins even pronounce. It was completely pretentious and too much of a show off website for her taste. Having that extra weight was making her center of gravity hate her. More than once she had to let out a grunt just to get out of bed in the morning. She wondered why pregnancy was such a drain on the body. It was hardly fair given all she was going to do for the baby when it finally came out of her. It could've at least thrown her a little bone.

One more gem of pregnancy decided to make an appearnce and brought her to the bathroom. She had no idea how much pee she was producing to have the need to pee this often. How much water was she drinking? And she thought generating enough pee for those pregnancy tests was impossible. According to that "super fancy doctor site with that .edu ending" it was because there was more pressure on your bladder because of the baby. Well at least it was better than the horrid morning sickness of her first trimester. That was the definition of hell in her book.

"Mom did you have to pee a lot when you were pregnant with me?" Ino asked after deciding to go downstairs to wait. That clock was getting on her nerves with its slow pace.

"All the time. It was very annoying I'll have you know. But it wasn't as bad as Chouji's mother. Apparently she had to go practically hourly with that huge baby in her belly." Her mother replied with a light laugh.

Ino's questions about pregnancy and motherhood had multipled in the past month. She asked at least one question per day, but usually more depending on whatever was on her mind. It wasn't even the end of September yet and she was already asking what labor was like. Her mother had to constantly calm her down about the future. That was still a touchy subject to her daughter. The idea of motherhood while juggling college was a big responsibility that Ino wasn't confident she could do. Her mother knew she could do it easier than most teen mothers could so she want worried. If anything she was more worried about Shikamaru's responsibilities as a teen father.

She would never tell her daughter about her reservations about the boy. He was lazy and unmotivated, that much wasn't going to change. Maybe it would be less frequent but never changed. There was no way he was going to a respectable university straight out of high school. Of course Ino was already on top of that and was researching community colleges for him more than universities for herself. She had no idea what job he would get to support her daughter and grandchild. What if he put all the pressure on Ino? Ino reassured her that wouldn't happen but it wasn't convincing enough. What if he cracked under pressure and dropped out or got fired? She wouldn't put it past him. She knew he would do anything to protect Ino, but taking care of her was a whole different thing. Ino swore that he would do it because that's "just how he is", which also wasn't the most convincing statement. Could he make enough money to support her? Would he always be faithful and loyal to her? Would he listen to her endless whines and complaints about work? Would he be at her side through thick and thin? Would he ever get the guts to propose to her? She knew Ino's old fashioned views on that subject, she firmly believed proposing was the man's job. The rest of the wedding was hers. What kind of father would he be? These questions she could not answer and they scared her half to death. Ino was the only thing she had left and she would not let anyone hurt her.

"What's wrong mom?" Ino asked. She didn't like the distant look in her mother's eyes. She knew it meant something was troubling her mind.

"Oh nothing, do you need anything else for your movie night?" Her mother responded with a shrug. She cursed at how her daughter had the same mind reading-like quality as her late husband. Luckily she had also taken after him in his lack of focused attention. Changing the subject was very easy to do if Ino wasn't too persistent.

"Nope. I've got the popcorn and movies. Apparently she has a movie that I haven't seen."

"Well if it's something romantic then that's impossible." Her mother laughed.

"That's what I told her." Ino agreed. She could ace any trivia quiz on the subject.

But even if it wasn't a romance movie there was still a good chance she may have seen it. Chouji and Shikamaru had very different tastes in movies from both each other and her. It made their movie nights very eclectic. Chouji would bring some low budget poorly acted action movie that was so bad it was funny. Anything comedic was up his alley. Shikamaru was the master at horror movies and knew several from other countries. According to him Italy had excellent ones. He also had a thing for more independent films unlike Ino who enjoyed mainstream movies more. Chouji was fine with either. When they banned her from bringing a romance movie she's sneak a drama with top tier actors with some romantic moments or scenes. Those were a hit with all three. Chouji adored the actors, Shikamafu liked the well written plots, and of course Ino loved a good kiss scene. Although she did appreciate well directed shots and atmospheres as well. She hated when green screens were used. Well at least when she could tell one was being used.

Ino's blue eyes searched for the wall clock and saw there was still at least twenty minutes left until Karin's arrival. She wondered if time could move any slower.

"So how's work around the shop?" Ino asked. She was desperate for something to pass the time. If that meant small talk about the family business then so be it.

"Eh not too bad. Mums are very popular right now. We nearly ran out of our shipment yesterday." Her mother replied with a shrug.

"Have you made any cool bouquets lately?" Ino persisted. She needed this bland conversation.

"Not really. There haven't been many birthdays or anything this month." The older woman responded and set down the book she had been attempting to read. She knew Ino wasn't going to let her get some peace until that friend of hers came over.

"Speaking of which, have you thought about anything for your birthday?" Her mother added. Her daughter's birthday was the twenty third, which was only a week away. She had gotten a few small gifts for her but nothing large yet. She was spending most of the usual birthday fund on stocking up for her grandchild. She knew her daughter would appreciate that.

"Oh my gosh, it's next week isn't it!" Ino exclaimed at the sudden realization. Her birthday had completely slipped her mind. She cursed at the fact her pregnancy had officially taken over her thought process. Another realization dawned on her as she remembered the date of her birthday. It was a day after Shikamaru's and she had completely forgotten about both of them. She needed at least a month to think of a gift for him. He was that hard to shop for. Everything he liked he owned or couldn't be bought. Nothing ever sparked his interest long enough to make it a good gift. He already had a shogi board and a go board and you can't buy clouds. Any movies he loves he was on his bedroom shelf. He wasn't much of a reader so books were out of the question. He didn't follow sports teams so she couldn't get him any apparel like she usually did for Chouji. His music taste varies by the day so getting him a cd would be futile. Yet he's always disappointed if someone gets him money or gift cards. There was no way to win when it came to gift giving. It wasn't like that "super fancy doctor site with that .edu ending" could give her any advice.

Well at least she knew what to do to pass the time now.


	39. Chapter 39

Karin wasn't sure what she was expecting when she agreed to a movie night with Ino. Maybe a couple chick flicks and a whole lot of popcorn and tissues. Perhaps some gossip about school or celebrities too. And although she assumed those things would happen eventually, the sight before her told her that it would be a very long time. She had been greeted by Ino's mother at the door. The lady had sighed before letting the girl in to see her hectic daughter. The redhead didn't need to look any further than the couch to see her friend. There sat the blonde with a notepad and a pen. She was writing something down, pausing, and then finally crossing whatever she had written down. This process had been done three times before she realized her friend had arrived.

"Oh Karin! I'm so sorry, I totally lost track of time." Ino quickly apologized and removed herself from the comfy sofa.

"It's her boyfriend's birthday next week and she forgot. The boy is very picky so that is only stressing her out more." Her mother informed the redhead. Ino nodded in an ashamed manner. In her mind she was the absolute worst girlfriend at that point. His birthday was literally a day before hers so how could she have forgotten? Well the answer was easy, she had forgotten hers too.

"He's impossible to shop for." Ino added in the whiny voice of a five year old.

"I'll bet you fifty bucks he hasn't gotten her anything either. He's the definition of a procrastinator. A few years ago on his birthday, a day before hers, I caught him shopping for her birthday gift." Ino's mother stated with a wink. It was always strange for her whenever her daughter and Shikamaru had something in common since they were so different. It only happened once in a blue moon and this year it was their last minute gift giving.

"Won't he be happy with whatever you get him?" Karin asked naively. She had no clue how their relationship worked.

"No, he silently judges every gift he gets. Most of the time he's disappointed which is totally unfair because he doesn't like anything," Ino objected in a deep frown. She hated that he was so damn picky when it came to gift giving. Now it was taking up all her mental space that she was going to use to have fun with Karin.

"That must suck." Karin shrugged. She had never had a boyfriend before so she didn't know what else to say. She also hadn't heard much about Shikamaru from school gossip. Apparently he was very smart but hated school so his grades were terrible. According to Ino he's very sarcastic and lazy but protective enough that he could be mistaken for her bodyguard rather than her boyfriend. She had already gotten a good handle on the type of girl Ino just from gossip alone. Sure most of it was over dramatic and completely false but there were some things that Karin had learned to be true. Things like that Ino was an excellent student, very charismatic, loud, utterly beautiful, and friendly. However most of the rumors about the poor girl sickened her.

Everyone had at least one nasty thing to say about her. Even her old bestfriend made it very clear that she did not believe Ino was a virgin before her pregnancy. Others said she was beautiful and friendly in a very different connotation. Again Sakura didn't deny those claims like a good friend should have. Boys would say they had a night with her and some even went as far as to describe their sick fantasies. Shikamaru had caught a few instances and attempted to set them straight. Usually he was talking to deaf ears however. Sai's clique of artsy students could talk for hours about how much they disliked her and only put up with her for Sai's sake. The kinda creepy looking red haired guy just said she was a terrible artist. That was better than most things said about her. Words like "tease" and "slut" were common for describing her and it was completely repulsing to hear. Karin wondered how Ino had been able to handle it for this long without completely breaking down. Karin felt nauseated just hearing the rumors much less being the victim of them.

"It seriously does." Ino grumbled and sank back onto her sofa. Karin saw she already had a stack of movies on the table in front of it. Moulin Rouge, a classic romance/musical was on the very top.

"Are all of those romances?" Karin asked as she took her seat beside the blonde. She recognized most of the titles and her question was basically answered. Yes, yes they were. Karin wondered just how much romance this girl could handle. However there was mix of sub genres to go along with the romantic elements. Several romantic comedies, fantasy style romances, and just the plain old tear jerkers. There was even a romantic horror film. She picked it up and read the brief summary on the back of the case.

"Shaun of the Dead?" The redhead muttered with a cocked head.

"Oh that's my favorite date night movie. Actually I got Chouji to watch it one time because it's also pretty funny but he hates horror movies so he never watched it again. Shikamaru loves horror movies and I love romances so it's perfect. It's especially great because there's more romance than horror but enough for him to let me watch it." Ino replied practically beaming.

They had watched dozens of movies together but only a few were watched more than once. Besides superhero movies which they both shared a guilty pleasure for, Shaun of the Dead was it. Ino didn't really love it that much but it served its purpose every time. She could cuddle as close to Shikamaru as she wanted for two reasons; the romantic scenes set a tone too powerful for him to object her affection and the scary scenes gave her ample time to fake fear and bury her face into his side. She never actually got scared but she could never pass up the chance to snugged close to him and feel his arms around her.

Usually horror movies didn't terrify her as much as they were supposed to. She never grabbed for a pillow to hide her face from the screen or screamed at a jump scare. She was so used to them by spending movie nights with Shikamaru that they were just another scene to her. And on the off chance that a movie did scare her to the point where she actually needed to hide in his side he'd turn it off right then and there. There was no discussion even if it was one of his personal favorites that he wanted to share with her. Although he was usually pretty good at screening them before hand to make sure they weren't too much for her. He had given up on trying to get a movie suitable enough for Chouji so Ino was his partner for them.

"So what movie did you bring for me?" Ino asked curiously. Karin had yet to remove it from her cross-body purse. She was just itching to find out what it was. Ino felt like she was getting a birthday present early.

"It was one of Ryan Gosling's more independent movies, Lars and the Real Girl." Karin explained and pulled out the dvd. Ino was already beaming after hearing her beloved actor's name. "It's about-" Karin was cut off by Ino taking the movie into her own hands.

"Don't care just playing it _now_." Ino replied and had already inserted the disc into the console. She didn't need to know the plot to know it was good. It was romantic _and_ had Ryan Gosling, it was a done deal.

* * *

Karin's pick was absolutely perfect and got Ino's mind right off birthday gifts. The acting was superb and the plot itself was so sweet that Ino needed to have it in her collection. The pair had gone through two more movies of Ino's choosing before Karin's mother had arrived to take her home. It was a night cut off too soon.

"We have to do this again." Ino decided as she finished the rest of their second bowl of popcorn. It was a night of pure heaven. She didn't worry about well, anything. It was just girl time and movies. Karin had explained her old town and Ino had explained how Konoha worked. They looked over some of Ino's old magazines and rolled their eyes at the obviously fake cover stories. The gushed over certain celebrities and scoffed at others that made very questionable life choices. They had gone through half a box of tissues by the end of the night but strangely Ino didn't mind having red and puffy eyes. The beaming smile never left her face since the first scene of the first movie came on.

"Definitely." Karin agreed eagerly. She hadn't had this much fun since she first moved to Konoha. Why people could be so critical of Ino was beyond her after this night. She had been so caring and understanding. She laughed effortlessly but could pull a smart remark out of nowhere at any given moment. She was the perfect friend and she hoped she was the same to the blonde. All she knew was at least for one night she had helped out Ino and that made everything worth it.


	40. Chapter 40

Ino's fretting had yet to seize over gift giving but had come up with a few ideas at least. Shikamaru had only begun to panic at their nearing birthdays. Although Ino was easy enough to shop for according to everyone else, she was extremely difficult for him. Sure she liked many things and made it very clear when there was something that she didn't. Yet he could never find a gift he deemed good enough for her and hated settling. She always seemed to like his gifts but he didn't know if she was being truthful or just trying to avoid hurt feelings. She'd never say if she didn't like a gift but the thought of disappointing her made him feel sick.

It was so much simpler when they were kids. Anything purple or shiny was usually a safe bet at least when they were younger. Ino also had consistent phases of being obsessed with something so gift giving was not a challenge. When she had her princess phase he had gotten her a huge book of fairy tales complete with pictures of princesses. When she went through her tomboyish phase he had gotten her a soccer ball because it was her favorite sport at the time. He had gotten her a stuffed black cat during her witch phase. He had gotten her a mermaid doll when that phase came up. Everything was so easy back then. She loved everything you got her and made sure you knew it.

Now her tastes were still wide enough that finding a present for her wasn't supposed to be a problem. Chouji never had an issue getting her a gift and she always liked what he got her. Her friends like Sakura and TenTen found her suitable presents that she always gushed over. Her mother showered her with presents so she was bound to have at least on gift that Ino liked. Hell even his own mother could find something that screamed "Ino" in just one trip to the store. Shikamaru could find gifts that she'd like, but he thought it was his duty to find something she loved. That was the difficult task.

He'd already gone to three stores in the mall and was still empty handed. Yes, he saw some little things like jewelry that would be good for a gift, but they seemed so boring. It was like taking the easy route and on any other occasion he'd gladly take it but not this one. He wasn't sure why but he felt she had a certain expectation of him to do well in this department. He also figured he was irrational thinking that because she never actually have him a reason to think that. He was her best friend but so was Sakura for several years and Chouji was nearly at the same level so it wasn't that. Shikamaru was well aware he spent more than any other of her friends and probably only a little less than her parents on gifts but he didn't mind. Seeing the way her eyes lit up and twinkled like stars, and then the way her smile grew and grew with every peek of its contents made it worth it. It gave him a sense of gratification to know he had pleased her even though it out him through more trouble than he'd ever admit.

Shikamaru pondered just getting a compilation of smaller gifts but that seemed like it would require even more effort than finding just the right one. He wondered how she would react if he just flat out asked her what she wanted. She'd probably call him lazy and hang up the phone. For a girl that always knows what she wants, she does pick the worst times to keep that information to herself.

He had scratched clothes or cosmetics off his mental checklist. There were too many options that he couldn't possibly guess the right items. Then he knew there was also the very plausible reaction that she'd take it not as a gift but as a suggestion to change herself. Get her makeup and she could think that meant she needs it. Buy her clothing and she might think you dislike her style. Ino was an incredibly confident person but she still her dips of self doubt and Shikamaru didn't want to reawaken one.

The list of possibilities was endless which to most was a good thing but to him it was a nightmare. He liked things to be straightforward and as simple as possible. He'd rather have two possibilities over twenty possibilities. Ino hated it because she said it was being put in a box. Shikamaru had no problem with said box. At least that way he'd know exactly what to do or on this case what to get.

The lazy boy had just left some body shop that Ino always raved about. It personally have him a headache and he had barely lasted a minute. How she managed to adore it was absurd in his opinion. Needless to say no shopping bags were in his hands.

"Mommy there is Shika!" A squeaky voice cheered from behind him. He recognized instantly as Mirai and turned around just as the young girl tackled his legs. He hadn't done as much babysitting as he had before due to school, so seeing the child made the smile on his face just a little wider. Kurenai had understood completely and even gave him an extra push to do so. She had gotten a promotion at work so her financial situation was getting better. Her father had just retired so he was able to take some of Shikamaru's shifts.

"Hey there kiddo." Shikamaru replied and lifted her to eye level. She squealed happily and gave him a beaming smile. He poked her nose gently before setting her back down. Her little arms latched around his legs once more.

"Mirai you have to let him move." Kurenai scolded and set down her shopping bags to ease the child away. Mirai pouted but did what she was told silently.

"So what brings you here?" The woman asked after directing her attention back to Shikamaru.

"Ino's birthday is in a few days so I'm trying to get her gift. I haven't had much luck though." He replied with a frown. He had wandered around the mall for an hour and had made no progress in his search. Not even a little bag was in his grasp. When he looked at the pair he saw three bags. One from a boutique he passed by but didn't enter, one from a toy store, and one in a baby blue bag that was turned away from him.

"Ino!" Mirai interjected eagerly with even brighter eyes. Ino had done a few babysitting jobs with him but once the bump got prominent she stopped. They had explained it to Kurenai but preferred to keep it private from Mirai. Kurenai had already gave them a few trinkets from when Mirai was an infant like little toys and pastel blankets.

However Mirai had still managed to get phone calls from the blonde because she "missed her so so so so so much" and Ino lacked the ability to say no to little kids. The small child had grown very attached to Ino even without physical contact. It had helped Ino adjust to the idea of being away from their child for college. In fact Mirai had helped just in general to get a glimpse of parenthood. Kurenai had told them dozens of stories about her infancy and the work required. She had shared tips with Ino about labor and the first few weeks. It helped to have another person talk to her besides their mothers according to Ino.

"Yeah it's Ino's birthday soon so I have to give her a really, really good present." Shikamaru explained as he crouched to once again get on eye level with the tiny girl. She loved hearing about Ino, it didn't matter the subject manner.

"Let me help! Let me help!" Mirai pleaded and clasped her small hands together in front of her. Her eyes were even more persuasive than a puppy dog's. He looked up at her mother who only shrugged.

"Well alrighty then" He nodded and stood back up. He took two of the bags from Kurenai but she insisted on keeping the blue bag. His other hand became occupied by Mirai's hand. She also had a hold on Kurenai's hand. It was just like one of those family scenes from a movie. He could already picture Ino in Kurenai's place and their son in Mirai's. He liked the warm feeling it put in his stomach.

"Do you have an idea what she wants?" Kurenai asked. Shikamaru shook his head at the question. He had no idea.

"Does she like dolls?" Mirai questioned.

"Not really."

"Coloring books?"

"I don't think so."

"Race cars?"

"Probably not."

"Stuffed animals?"

"She already has plenty of those." He sighed with a smirk. That was her childish weakness. The amount of stuffed animals in her collection was ridiculous. Half a dozen were on her bed alone. He knew she had plenty of others hidden around. She still sleeps with a piglet plush. He'd be lying if he said they didn't ruin the mood when they tried to get a bit heated. Their cold empty eyes staring at them could always cool him down, even when he didn't want to. Yet she always insisted on keeping them around. Thus his bed became the more well used.

"Oh me too! I have a deer, a frog, a kitty cat, a bear, a bunny, a-"

"Shikamaru already knows your toys sweetheart." Kurenai said calmly to the obviously displeased at being interrupted girl.

"Does she wear jewelry?" Kurenai asked.

"A little, mostly earrings. But I don't think it'd be personal enough to just get her a pair of earrings, you know?" He replied. He had thought about getting her a necklace but he couldn't recall her ever really wearing one. Maybe that meant she didn't like them.

"Ah I see, you're going for something personal." Kurenai said to no one in particular. Shikamaru could tell she was contemplating ideas.

"I remember something Asuma did for me after we had gotten married. He got together all these pictures of us and a bunch of little artsy things like buttons and out together this little scrapbook. It looked like Mirai had made it but I adored it so much. I still look back at it sometimes."

"Ino would love something like that. But that's so much work." He replied. It truly was a great idea but would require so much extra work than just getting her a present. She'd like this idea more however so it'd be worth it. Knowing her she'd obsess over it and show it off to anyone willing to see. It would definitely make her smile.

"Mirai and I can help you with it if you want." Kurenai offered. They had reached a craft store that Shikamaru hadn't even realized they were walking to. Mirai was jumping up and down in excitement. He really couldn't find a flaw in the idea.


	41. Chapter 41

Shikamaru had never liked arts and crafts, that point was highlighted by Ino's birthday gift. Kurenai had roped him in on making a scrapbook based on their relationship. It was a good idea and he knew Ino would love it. But making it was proving to be more difficult than he had expected. Kurenai and Mirai were helping him, well really Kurenai was helping and Mirai was spilling glitter everywhere. He didn't want them to do all the work but his creativity lied in strategy games, not decorating a scrapbook.

They had bought a plain white scrapbook that was fairly small so Shikamaru wouldn't have to do too much with it. There were half a dozen pages in total. Kurenai had tried to get him to buy the full dozen one but he refused. This would be cheaper and easier for him which he liked. Besides Ino was the main holder of their pictures so he wouldn't even have enough to fill a dozen pages. His mom already had to donate some of their childhood pictures together.

Mirai had insisted Ino would want purple glitter, she wasn't wrong, but it was so damn messy. That's why it just became a few dots on the cover. Kurenai had said buttons were always good things to use. Shikamaru didn't understand why but went along with it and bought a wide assortment of them. Kurenai had glued them on the binding and Shikamaru admitted that it did look pretty nice. Mirai wanted to contribute so Shikamaru gave her a couple crayons and let her draw on the back cover. He didn't know what she ended up drawing since it looked like a bunch of scribbles but at least it was colorful. Ino would still think it was the most adorable thing.

Shikamaru wasn't much of an artist but he was proud of the deer and pig he had drawn on the inside cover. The butterflies he drew ended up looking more like blobs of black ink however. So did the flowers but at least the clouds and grass turned out well. Kurenai had also forced him to use his neatest handwriting while writing out a special note on that same section to Ino. She thought it'd be a nice touch.

Shreds of colored and patterned paper littered Kureani's apartment by the time the scrapbook was finished. As did ribbons, stickers, little jewels, again Mirai's idea, markers, and colored pencils. Shikamaru had let Kurenai take over artistic direction as to where he should put ribbons as opposed to paper. He did admit the finished product did look nice.

He had dedicated the first page front and back to their early childhood years. The first picture was framed in green ribbon with the little pink jewels Mirai had picked out on the corners. It had been from their first day of preschool. They had their hands clasped together in front of the building. Ino had been beaming at the camera while Shikamaru only offered it a light smile. He couldn't believe he had been actually smiling at going. Then Yoshino had told him that she threatened to take away his nap time if he didn't smile. That explained it pretty well.

Kurenai had drawn swirls and flowers all over the page and somehow made that horrid glitter look nice and not like a total mess. Shikamaru had taken a few of the metallic stickers that according to Mirai were amazing and placed them carefully around the page as well.

He used the same framing for the second picture on the page as well. He had seen this picture many times since it was one of Yoshino's all time favorites. She even had to make herself a copy of it just to give him the original for the book. They were still preschoolers and it had been one of the many times that Ino had come over to play. He didn't remember how they got into the position that Yoshino had captured. Ino must've tackled him or something like that since she was sitting on top of him as he laid on the ground. Of course his mother had taken the picture as he frowned. Ino was still smiling like it was the best moment of her life.

He had also included a picture of the them along with Chouji because he played an integral part in their relationship as well. He assumed they were still preschoolers based on their looks in the photograph. They were sitting on a bench together and smiling. Well Chouji and Ino were smiling and Shikamaru had that same forced small smile. He assumed his mom had used the same threat to get him to do that.

The back side of that same page was decorated with strips of pastel polka dot paper. Each picture was framed by gold and silver beads that were hell to glue on. After the first picture he made Kurenai do it.

The first picture was when they were probably one of two years older and it was Halloween. He vaguely remembered the day as being very troublesome. It was during Ino's princess phase. She was dressed as a princess, that was no surprise. Her dress had been bubblegum pink with little sparkly designs all over it. It looked expensive and knowing how much she was spoiled, it probably was. She even managed to get a little tiara as well. Then there was the scrawny boy next to her adorned in a prince costume. Shikamaru hated that costume, he remembered that well enough. He remembered Ino saying every princess needs a prince at her service. Shikamaru even wrote that under the picture in the green colored pencil. It made sense because he practically was and still is her servant. She had him wrapped around her finger even when they were five years old.

The next was one he didn't remember at all. They were the same age as before and were posing alone for a picture. His arms were crossed, he assumed this was when his reserved personality came forward. Well apparently he was completely refusing to smile so Ino used her thumb and index finger to lift the edges of his mouth into a smile. And of course she was smiling happily in the photo as well.

The last picture Shikamaru had placed on the page was one during a shared birthday party of theirs. Every year they had a party together since their birthdays were a day apart. It was usually their families and Chouji's but when they were younger sometimes they'd invite other kids. This picture was during one of those. He could tell because he caught Kiba and Sakura in the background of the image. Ino and him were both blowing out the candles to their cake. It was kind of cute how both their cheeks were puffed as they shared the responsibility of blowing out the candles.

The next page wasn't really dedicated to anything in Shikamaru's opinion. He had coated the first side in purple paper and tried to match the decor to the image. The first was when they were ten and at a baseball game with Shikaku. Ino was decked out in their city's team apparel. Her usual high ponytail was being held up by a green now instead of her usual black ribbon. She wore a dark green sweatshirt with their team's logo and a dark gray skirt. Knowing her she was probably wearing green tights or something like that underneath. Shikamaru couldn't tell because the picture cut off before that. He was just wearing a plain gray sweatshirt, it wasn't even the correct shade of gray. He remembered Ino scolding him for that.

Shikamaru remembered what a pain the picture had been to take because Shikaku wanted it to be perfect. They must have taken a dozen pictures before Shikaku found a pose that worked. He didn't like them sitting in their own seats and looking at the camera, he didn't like when Shikamaru moved an arm around Ino to bring her closer, he didn't like when they both stood up for the picture, and Shikamaru couldn't remember what else he had been forced to go before the final product. Somehow his father was pleased when Ino sat on his lap with her arms around his neck. Apparently it didn't look as awkward. She had no problem with it and smiled likely was any other picture. Shikamaru on the other hand was so flustered by it that it took three pictures before he could finally smile for the picture.

He had placed baseball stickers around it and let Mirai put some little scribbles on the page as well. He tied a piece of green ribbon into a bow and glued it on too.

Then it was the picture his mother took to try and make him feel guilty over his poor grades. Ino was holding her test with a big red A+ while Shikamaru held the same test with a big red D. They were both holding their papers with pride. Shikamaru had even used his signature smirk in the photo while Ino wore her usual smile. They were in grade six when that picture was taken.

He doodled pencils around it along with other school supplies like rulers. Kurenai had also placed several apple stickers around it.

The picture near the bottom of the page was taken their summer of that same year. They were burying Chouji in the sand. It was the first picture where Ino was not smiling since she was scolding Chouji for wiggling his feet around, thus making them impossible to bury. Shikamaru thought it was cute because it showed more of her true personality than all her smiles.

Kurenai drew ocean waves all around it that were very impressive to Shikamaru. She also drew fish and seashells to fit the beach setting of the image.

On the other side they used flower stencils to make purple glitter flowers on each corner. Mirai then added animal and nature stickers all over the rest of the page. There were several clusters and bald spots but Shikamaru let it slide. Ino would still like it anyway.

The first picture was really a set of four from a photo booth. It was during one of their school carnivals in middle school and she managed to get him to use the last of his money on talking pictures with her. It was the end of the night so he let her waste his money. The first little image was just them talking because they underestimated how fast yeah camera would start. The next went more smoothly with them both grinning. He stuck his fingers behind her head for the next. He was thankful she didn't notice at the time. The last had caught him rolling his eyes while Ino was beaming like usual. She was pissed when she saw the last two pictures yet didn't get as mad as he thought she was going to.

The next was from their school dance in grade eight. It was the year before they went into high school. He remembered how he and Chouji met at Ino's house for pictures before they went. He also remembered losing his breath when he saw her for the first time. Her long blonde locks were loose from the usual ponytail and cascaded down one shoulder down to her waist. Her dress was loose and flowy but still hugged her slender waist. The lavender shade complimented her platinum hair and fair complexion, which both seemed to be glowing more than usual. It was held up only by her chest, no straps were visible to keep her shoulders from being bare. On her feet were silver strappy sandles with a small heel. Ino called it a kitten heel. He didn't know if that was true but he did know that she looked absolutely stunning.

The three of them had taken pictures together for each of their parents' cameras. He included on of those onto the page as well but his favorite was when Chouji tried his hand at photography. Shikamaru suspected this was the time he began to catch on the little crush. Ino had turned into him and instructed him to place his hand on her waist. His smile had been genuine that time and not forced or a smirk. Her smile seemed especially dazzling.

Shikamaru was a little disappointed with how mundane the next page looked. Most pictures were just the two of them smiling at random times that had little backstory. First day of high school, first day of summer, and one while in the forest. Kurenai had tried especially hard to make the page look special. Stickers, buttons, ribbons, and colored paper littered it in a somehow tasteful manner. The back side was at least a bit better. The first picture was one Chouji had took during summer vacation their freshman year. All the pictures on that page were from that summer. This one was taken in front of an ice cream shop while their both held their frozen treats. Even Ino looked less cheerful in the picture. Shikamaru didn't even bother to smile. He still found the picture amusing due to those faces though.

The second picture on the page during one their hikes. Their parents had stayed behind at the cabin they had rented for all of July while they explored the new town they were staying in. One of the parts Ino wanted to see most was the abundant forest trails it had to offer. Even Shikamaru didn't object to that. It was near the middle of their third trail that Ino was losing her patience. For forest trails they were rather boring. It really was just mostly trees with the occasional flower patch. With much pleading Ino finally got Shikamaru to carry her on his shoulders. He thought it was completely ridiculous and childish but gave into her request. Apparently being on his shoulders gave her a better view of the forest that wasn't as boring. His spiky ponytail became her steering wheel much to his annoyance. Of course there was nothing he could really do about it since he didn't want her to get hurt by dropping her. He was already anxious enough that she'd fall. His slow pace started making her grumpy as well but he refused to move any faster. He was glad that she was small and light so he didn't feel as strained.

By then Chouji had been very active in photography. He was even in the club at school and took the class. So naturally he wanted a picture of them with the beautiful forest in the background. Ino was beaming like a little kid, which she was reminding Shikamaru of, while he didn't bother to hide his displeasure. He ended up carrying her to the very end of the trail before refusing to take another step with her on his shoulders. He had pleased her enough for the day though.

The final picture on the page was one that Chouni had donated when Shikamaru asked for some of the pictures he had taken of them. Both he and Ino were not aware the picture had ever been taken. Ino wouldn't know until she gets the scrapbook. They had been playing in the water at the town's beach. It had been a completely candid shot taht caught them both in complete joy and laughter. Shikamaru was splashing water at the lovely blonde with her trying to block it. According to Chouji everyone wondered if they were an item at the time. And he had said _they_ _will be._ Shikamaru chuckled at how right his best friend was.

The next page was blue and white striped because Shikamaru was strangely attracted to the shade of blue. It was soft and icy like a certain girl's eyes. He had put their grade eight graduation picture first and framed it with small brown buttons. He had smirked as usual and she had flashed gorgeous grin. The next was just a small Polaroid picture Ino had given Shikamaru as a joke. She was imitating his signature smirk. He wrote _very funny_ next to the small picture. Below that he placed the picture of him doing his own smirk at her in retaliation. He even stole her Polaroid camera to do so. Next to that he wrote _you can't beat the master_ just like he told her before. He also added another picture Ino had sent him. This time Chouji had been the photographer. It was her sitting on a park swing with a dark green hoodie on. One sleeve fell off her shoulder and she looked especially coy in the photograph. Her little smile was ever so teasing. In her swirly handwriting she had written, _you're never getting it back_ in purple ink. He couldn't remember when it was taken. He remembered it was something about him wanting his hoodie back. It wasn't the royal blue he had given to when there fathers passed away. He couldn't even trembler the hoodie she was wearing so he assumed he really never _did_ get it back. He made a mental note to ask about that.

Mirai had drawn Ino and Shikamaru on the bottom of the page. They were really just stick figures with random lines of color. Ino's drawing had yellow lines coming out of her head to be her ponytail and a purple triangle on her body which was supposed to be a dress. Shikamaru's drawing had little spikes of brown that were supposed to his ponytail and green scribbles for his clothes. It was cute enough for Shikamaru to crack a smile.

The fifth page incorporated more recent pictures that Shikamaru had in his possession. The first made Mirai ecstatic because it was taken during one of their babysitting jobs. Mirai sat on Ino's lap as Shikamaru worked one arm around them and used his other to snap the picture. Mirai's smile reminded him of Ino's earlier ones. It was so bright and cheerful. Ino and Shikamaru didn't need to force theirs and pulled out sincere smiles. Shikamaru liked seeing how his smile had evolved throughout the book.

The next was one Chouji was more than thrilled to capture for them. Shikamaru regretted giving Ino free rein of the pose since she had picked a bridal style carry. It was easy enough because Ino's bump was still hidden so the extra weight hadn't come in. It was just embarrassing since they had done it in their park. They were still in their school uniforms too so it wasn't like a romantic date setting either. Ino just wanted him to do it because why the hell not? Still he did it but put on his signature smirk while his girlfriend looked utterly radiant in his arms. Her smile was effortlessly beautiful especially after the picture had been taken and she had directed it at him and not the camera. He couldn't help but hold her closer and kiss that beaming smile. Chouji had also decided to take a picture of that so Shikamaru put that in the scrapbook as well.

On the other side he had glued one of their baby's ultrasounds on the top. It had been from the second trimester he remembered. The next was one courtesy of his nosy mother. They had both fallen asleep on his couch during a movie night. He could tell that by the faint glow of the TV that was cast over them. The pose was nothing special and had become their usual way of sitting before the baby bump became larger. Ino was curled up into his left side with her head in the crook of his neck. Her feet were tucked underneath her and she was clad in his royal blue sweatshirt that was too big for her. He always loves when she wears it. His left arm was wrapped around her to hold her against him and his head rested on top of hers. Both their faces were so at ease and calm. They both sleep better when they are close to each other. Shikamaru always looked at the picture when he felt down and it star felt cheered him up so he put it in the book to give Ino the same effect. He did make a copy of it though.

The other picture on the page was one where Ino was kissing his cheek. He was too flustered or startled, he couldn't remember which on or maybe both, to actually make a face. Ino always teased him about the little picture and how she made the genius' mind stop. He decided to put it in to make her laugh. He knew she'd appreciate it after probably gushing over all the others.

They used paper with a floral design to frame the images. More jewels were scattered around the page because Mirai was getting mad that they weren't being used. Kurenai drew a pair of lips at the bottom with a red pencil and shaded them in. Mirai also placed little star stickers along with the jewels.

He knew she'd be a bit disappointed that he left the last page blank but he wanted to use that for pictures of them and the baby. Knowing her she'd want a whole new book just for that but she could spare a page. It also wouldn't matter to him because doing just those five pages was the most work he had done for a gift. But he didn't find it troublesome at all.


	42. Chapter 42

Ino couldn't remember a situation that brought more nerves than the one she was about to experience in less than an hour. It was September twenty-second at eleven at night. In other words it was the end of Shikamaru's birthday. The butterflies in her stomach had yet to stop fluttering since the moment had woken up. Her mind kept racing about what she had planned to do at the end of the day. Shikamaru and Ino had made the last few minutes before midnight on his birthday and the first few minutes of Ino's birthday their special gift giving time. Their family and friends gave them their respective gifts on their birthdays unless there was a snails party which was not the case this year. Yoshino had given Shikamaru a new shogi board since his old one had too many scrapes and chips for her liking. She had also given him an assortment of clothes in the drab colors since his pants now reached his ankles and the majority of his long sleeves didn't come below the wrist area.

Ino couldn't help herself from spacing out whenever the was a moment that was even the slightest bit dull. She blamed her mother for putting this idea in her head but it was all Ino had a present for Shikamaru. Although she hardly counted it as a present. It certainly wasn't like the gift wrapped in purple and gold wrapping paper that Shikamaru had kept away from her that whole day. She knew it was his gift to her and she also knew it was probably amazing.

She knew that her boyfriend was getting either frustrated or very concerned for her well being, probably a mixture of both. He hadn't smiled once the entire day and half the time he was staring at her in deep thought about her. In an effort to make her feel better, on his birthday no less, he had even suggested they watch a romantic film. Ino hated that she was hindering him from enjoying his birthday. She could barely muster up a sentence without feeling like she was about to throw up.

With each new activity that they had planned to accomplish for his birthday Ino's nerves always got in the way.

* * *

Ino had arrived at nine in the morning like Shikamaru had requested. They had both had their breakfast and Shikamaru had opened his gifts from Yoshino. Shikamaru wanted to cloud watch which wasn't a surprise to Ino so they went out to his massive backyard to gaze at the perfectly blue sky speckled with fluffy clouds. He had sighed contently after a meer minute of gazing on them while lying on the plush grass that has yet to harden from autumn. Shikamaru loved silence while watching clouds so a comfortable silence fell upon them and Ino felt relieved to avoid conversation so early in the day. Ino's spent the time making out shapes from the clusters of white in the sky. She knew his gaze would shift from the clouds to her but she kept her eyes glued on the sky, she couldn't make eye contact with him yet. However she did lace her fingers with his so he wouldn't be too suspicious of her more reserved behavior. Strangely he seemed to buy it as well.

Everything had gone well enough until the wind picked up roughly an hour in. Ino admitted the weather was much cooler than it had been all month. It felt autumn was finally taking the reins from summer. Still Ino remained as still as a statue even when the wind whipped around her ponytail mercilessly. Her bangs were flying in and out of her vision like there was tomorrow but she didn't want to show her discomfort because she knew how much Shikamaru enjoyed their current activity. She had to remember it was his birthday and whatever he wanted to do, they would do. She wouldn't even throw in a complaint.

Still he knew her too well and could sense her discomfort from the first gust of wind. When she made no effort to smooth down the crazy hair and kept silent, he immediately knew she was just trying to please him. However Ino had yet to realize even after knowing him for sixteen-one day away from seventeen years that if she was unhappy than so was he.

Shikamaru hated when Ino adapted some new personality trait. Her usual was spontaneous and troublesome enough. Then he had figure what caused said new personality and that was never easy. And half the time she would have dropped it by the time he did figure it out.

"What's the problem Ino?" He asked in a more agitated form of his monotone. He especially did not want to deal one of her issues on his birthday. They had an unwritten rule that they would not trouble each other on their birthdays. That had only been broken once when Shikamaru had developed a fever on Ino's according to her mother Ino had been in an even more pissy mood that day because of it.

"Nothing." She mumbled and lifted a hand to brush the blonde pieces of hair that had stuck to her lipgloss. He was glad her eyes were focused on the sky and not him because he had rolled his eyes with extreme exasperation.

"It's just very, very windy." She added. She was also able to sense when he was displeased. Shikamaru admitted the wind was becoming an issue for him as well. It was so loud and was ruining the clouds above him.

"Yeah we should probably go inside." He agreed and sat up. His lazy bones threw curses at him for it.

"We don't have to if you didn't want to." Ino objected and grabbed his hand to pull him back down. His brain had decided to try his luck at arguing with her for once. He knew on most occasions a screaming matching would follow, well Ino screaming and him without his monotone, however, he hoped she'd be kinder be jade it was his birthday.

"I'm getting bored of it." He shrugged and fought her tugging on his hand. She let go but remained peering up at him from her position on the grass.

"Are you sure?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow. She hoped that really was the reason and not because of her. The day had barely started and she didn't want to already ruin it.

To her relief he nodded and offered his hand to guide her to their next activity.

* * *

Everything had started off well enough and remained that way for a little while longer. Chouni had arrived shortly after they had returned from cloud watching. It started off easily with simple conversation about several topics. Chouji drilled him on how it felt to be seventeen, Shikamaru said it felt the same as being sixteen. Chouji then asked Ino how the pregnancy was going and she replied with it was still annoying but will luckily be done by November. She had never been so thrilled for the month of December before. Chouji had showed them his portfolio for his photography class, a few of their pictures made it in. He then presented Shikamaru with his gift, a new pair of real diamond earrings. Ino had not been aware of the fact that Shikamaru had lost his original pair of diamond ratings they got when they were fourteen and had been wearing cheap faux diamonds for the past year. If Ino hadn't felt so unlike herself she wouldn't scolded him until his ear fell off. They had both looked confused when she merely rolled her eyes.

Chouji had agreed to watch one of Shikamaru's horror films. Luckily for Chouji he chose one of his tamer ones. Unluckily for Ino it was filled with suspense that sent even more butterflies into her full stomach. She had seen the movie before, in fact she was positive she had, yet she couldn't remember anything about it and felt just as scared as Chouji normally would be.

They hadn't even made it halfway through the movie before Chouji was cowering in his seat and Ino was tucked deeply in the crook of her boyfriend's arm. Normally he would've snickered at both of them but instead only directed his amusement at Chouji. When he peered down at the little blonde nestled against him, he didn't snicker but instead looked concerned. Ino was well aware she was about to be busted for her out of character behavior. Still she silently prayed it wasn't concern in his eyes and something else.

"Hey are you feeling alright Ino?" He asked. He used his free arm to pause the movie so Ino would have nothing to focus on but him. She silently nodded which Shikamaru knew meant she was not.

"Are you sure?" He persisted.

"I'm just a little cold." Ino answered. She hated that her voice would only rise just above a whisper, she liked her booming voice.

It technically wasn't a lie because his living room was cooler than she was used to. It also didn't help that she was wearing a t shirt. However the more truthful answer was one she was not willing to disclose this early. Maybe if her limit was reached in the evening she could but it only noon.

"That's a relief. Well not the cold part but I thought you were becoming a scaredy cat like Chouji." He teased and aimed a smirk at his plumper best friend. Ino was relieved that he bought her excuse because it was rare for him to do so. She even felt somewhat calmer knowing no one was suspicious of her surprise. The feeling was extremely pleasant for the otherwise hectic girl. Now she snuggle into his side and have more of his calmness radiate onto her without him worrying. He probably wouldn't even notice that her attention was away from the movie.

Shikamaru promptly squashed that plan when he lifted her onto his lap. That ruined her snuggling idea. Instead his arms were wrapped snugly around her because according to his genius mind it would bring her more warmth. His mind wasn't wrong however Ino still didn't like to have her plans foiled.

"You don't have to do this." Ino objected quickly.

"It's fine Ino." Her boyfriend yawned and unpaused the film. Her nerves escalated when the first thing that flashed before her eyes was a jump scare. She was positive a squeak escaped her lips.

"But I've got to be pretty heavy." She continued and would've given him a knowing look if she was able to see him.

"For the last time you're not fat Ino." He grumbled and Ino knew he rolled his eyes behind his back. Her self deprecation always got on his nerves, sometimes they anyone's him more than her.

"Well thank you, but I'm saying I've got another person inside me. He's added to my weight you know."

"If it's too troublesome I'll put you down. However I'm stronger than I look, I did carry you on my shoulders for a whole mile that one summer." Shikamaru once again grumbled from behind her.

Ino was surprised that he had remembered doing that during their freshman year summer. She had loved every minute of riding on his shoulders and seeing the forest from a much higher perspective. She could see details of the trees and leaves perfectly. There was a light breeze that was heaven for the heat of the summer. He had complained quite often but still never put her down. His pace was like a snail's but it gave her time to savor the forest so she had very few complaints about it. The memory was so sweet in her mind that some of the butterflies in her stomach decided to flutter in happiness instead of nervousness.

"You remember that?" She asked. She realized her awe may have been too apparent when he snorted behind her. "Of course I do, it was a fun summer."

"Can we just watch the movie please," Shikamaru added before Ino could reply. Instead she nodded her blonde head and turned herself somewhat on his lap so she could place her arms around her neck. Resting her head against his chest wasn't as ideal as being completely cuddled in his side but it would suffice.

* * *

After the movie Shikamaru had challenged Ino to a game of shogi. Ino decided not to ask why because the winner was inevitable. She assumed it was because he liked the game so much that he didn't care how unfair the chances. Although she was apparently better than Chouji at the game. However neither were even close to Shikamaru's level.

It was during the match that Shikamaru knew something was definitely wrong with Ino. Her moves were clumsy and rash, well more than usual. It was like no thought was put in. One thing he admired about her was that she always put in an honest effort even though her loss was guaranteed. She could even come up with some pretty amazing strategies for him to combat. However their match lasted five minutes before he had check mated her.

"You're a bit rusty." He commented as he set the board for another match.

"Yeah, I guess so." She agreed quietly.

Shikamaru was really starting to hate this overly passive nature of hers. It was ironic because all he had ever wanted when he was younger was for her to act this way instead of her aggressiveness. Now all he wanted was for her to argue with him or nag him about anything. He wanted her to be obnoxiously bubbly and cheerful. Instead he was getting a shrinking violet.

"It's probably not very fun playing against me, is it?" Ino added with a very distinct tone of sadness. Chouji's eyebrows rose at her. He had never seen her be so gloomy before, it just wasn't in her nature. If anything it was like she adopted someone like Hinata's.

"Chouji can you get me a soda from the refrigerator?" Shikamaru asked once the board was finally set. He estimated he had roughly two minutes to figure out what on earth had gotten into Ino and he was going to have to use each second.


	43. Chapter 43

"What's with you today?" Shikamaru asked once Chouji had turned the corner. He knew his chances of cracking the titanium wall that was Ino, would be higher if they were alone. She was a firm believer in privacy and she took that to extreme lengths. Shikamaru could list on all ten of his fingers times where Ino had kept her personal issues completely to herself. It was a very troublesome fact about her. It was also troublesome because he was absolutely certain something was bugging her so he couldn't turn a blind eye.

"Come on Shikamaru it's your birthday so quit worrying about me." His girlfriend replied back. Ino ruffled the tips of his ponytail with a knowing smile. His worry was always very well hidden to her when they were children; when she tripped or fell, when she and Sakura had a fight, when Sasuke ignored her, when she missed a day of school, when she'd receive lower than an A on tests, when she'd forget her lunch for a week, when she'd injure herself in sports, when she'd cry in the middle of the street, when she received less than chivalrous looks from men, and so many more occasions Ino had thought he had been oblivious too. But he was very far from it. He always made sure she wouldn't have to worry about herself afterwards. She had just never realized how much he actually cared about her. All his gestures had seemed out of curtesy at the time and his apathetic attitude didn't help either.

Ino was more inclined to worry about his well being whenever even the slightest change was seen in him. He often called her his second mother. Although he never participated in the stupid and dangerous acts like his other peers his aloof nature had a habit of catching up to him. One time he hadn't bothered to look both ways when crossing the street on their walk to school when a car made a sharp turn and would've plowed him over had Ino not been faster. Her grip on his waist after she had jerked him back to the sidewalk remained long after the car had sped after. Shikamaru with his "whatever" attitude thought it was no big deal and attempted to go across the street again. By then Ino's hands had clutched his arm in a near circulation cutting grip until she assured him he was one hundred percent alright. She even made him take off his shoes to prove they hadn't been run over, something Shikamaru grumbled about the rest of the walk. Ino had only lightly loosened her grip on him.

She was at his house everyday for two whole weeks when he had sprained his ankle during one of their winter breaks. He had later admitted to milking up the injury to get sympathy from his parents as well as from her. His little plan worked perfectly since he spent those two weeks in his bed only getting up to clean and dress himself and use the bathroom. Ino hadn't even bothered to get him to use his crutches and instead brought over movies and books for him. All the movies were ones that suited his preferences and were usually terribly unentertaining for her. Still the wince on his lips, albeit actually false, made her so damn worried about the guy that she didn't mind enduring his activities as long as that meant she could take care of him. She even brought his shogi board up onto his bed so they could play everyday even though he showed her no mercy.

When she found out some of the bullies that she warded away from Chouji had decided to make her other best friend their new victim during freshman year. Shikamaru acted indifferent to their taunts at first. But when their mocks about his extrrodinary intelligence in the hallway to their walk home, Ino noticed his growing tenseness. The bullies kept a pace just slower than theirs' to shout insults at the brunette. Apparently they had forgotten that the girl that had shoved their leader into a locker previously was the same girl beside their target. She wanted to do the same to them but Shikamaru kept an iron grip on her at all times so physical violence wasn't an option. Shikamaru said it was better to not respond to them. That didn't keep Ino from snapping an insult at them once in awhile, no one harassed her best friends. It made her blood burn whenever an insult was hurled at them, unless it was one of her lighthearted ones. Ino could tell that they had gotten to him at least a little bit because his already reserved self had become especially closed off. So she went behind his back and completely shattered their reputations. Having control of other people's social standings was a perk of popularity after all.

"So something is bothering you after all." Shikamaru grumbled after her cheerful response.

"Well yes, but it's nothing-." Ino rebuked. Their baby decided to give one solid kick to her uterus at that moment. Her grunt of pain drowned out the rest of her sentence of reassurance. She was beginning to wonder if the baby was just as persistent as Shikamaru. She prayed that he wasn't.

_'Listen kid, you're going to be stuck with me for eighteen years so you better get yourself on my good side right now'_ Ino warned in her thoughts.

"What I was saying was you should just relax and think about yourself today. After all today is the only day I'll ever let you do this." The blonde continued after shooting a glare at her belly.

Ino had decided he could worry about her the other three hundred and sixty four days of the year but there was one day that he could not. Ino would not allow him to worry about her until it made him sick on his own birthday.

"I'd feel more relaxed if you'd just tell me what's wrong." Shikamaru smirked. Maybe if he twisted her words against her she'd fess up. The plan had worked for him before.

She was aware he was onto her and if he kept pestering her about it, something that seemed very likely, she'd probably give in.

"Chouji's going to come back soon." Ino stated as a shield. Shikamaru rarely made him confide in him if others were around. He respected her privacy.

"Hey Chouji you get next pick of the movie. Get something from my room or my mom's!" Shikamaru shouted to his best friend. The bedrooms were on the second floor of his house and he knew Chouji would take ages to pick a movie. He smirked at how much bonus time he got to drill the blonde.

"Awesome!" His plump friend cheered when he entered the main room. He handed Shikamaru the soda he had requested and hurried up the stairway.

"Hey! That wasn't fair." Ino pouted and folded her arms over her chest. She hated when his genius mind activated so quickly. It never gave her time to respond.

"You left me no other choice." The genius shrugged and scooted closer to the girl. Ino felt the butterflies in her stomach pound harder. Having him so close was bringing all the nerves she was trying to hide back in a rushing flood.

_'I've got to last until midnight. What it's only like eleven hours away right? No problem-yeah right this is going to be hell.'_

"Is it about the baby?" He asked. Maybe he could do it twenty questions style and get the answer. Ino shook her head. She really didn't like his new method of elimination.

"Something going on about school?" He questioned. Once again she shook her head.

"Is Sakura getting to you again?" He groaned. Blonde hair was shook.

"Are you and Karin fighting?" He sighed deeply. He was hating how much her head was shaking at him.

"How about stuff with your mom?" He asked desperately. Ino shook her head once more. He felt like he was pulling at strings. He thought his mind would give him better ideas. Ino was saying no to all of them.

"You're not going to guess it." She finally said with a roll of her eyes._ 'Feign boredom, this is what Shikamaru does all the time.'_

"How are your grades?" He grumbled. He wasn't going to give up that easily. There had to be something he was missing.

"Perfect. What else would they be?"

Shikamaru ignored her comment and began another answer in his signature drawl, "Alright is it-". Ino's lips pressed against his effectively taking the words from his mouth. She took advantage of his surprised gasp to push her tongue through his parted lips. It danced around his mouth and the sensation made all his agitation and confusion fly out of his mind. The taste of her lips was addicting and he was already inroxictaed. He would savor each second of this previous moment. Their passionate kisses had become rare after all.

Ino's hands held his firm cheeks and could feel the heat of his blush radiate onto her palms. He smelled like smokey cedar wood just like always. The scent seemed so much intense with her eyes shut thus cancelling out one of her senses. She wondered if that was why people closed their eyes during kisses. To make the sensation so much more powerful and overwhelming in all the right ways.

His lips were drier due to the colder weather but the moisture from Ino's perfectly balmed lips made their mouths melt together. Shikamaru could feel the soft skin on her fingertips trace the features of his face. First the perimeter of his face, next the slope of his nose, then a light tap to the bottom of his nose, then along eyebrows, then tracing patterns of his cheeks before finally the outline of his lips when she pulled away to catch her breath. It was mesmerizing to him, he made a note to request her to do that more often. Each touch was so precise and delicate like his face was her canvas for a masterpiece of art.

A minuscule voice in the back of his mind was asking why Ino had been so sudden with her move. However when Shikamaru opened his eyes and saw the radiant beauty pulled just slightly away from him, that voice was drowned by his hormones. Her fingertips hadn't even left his face when he pulled her back to him. Once again their lisp melted together in perfect harmony. He knew he hadn't caught his breath properly after that magical and dangerously long lip lock. Ino hadn't either but she offered no resistance. His lips felt so lonely without hers.

Ino had pulled back earlier than Shikamaru would have liked. He would've playfully chided her if her cheeks hadn't been so flushed. He smirked at how adorable she looked trying to catch her breath. Her hands had even flown to her heart and rested on the fabric of her purple blouse. He admitted that he felt rather winded after that. It was like feeling lightheaded get oddly alive and riled up to face anything.

Ino felt exactly the same. Her heartbeat was so fast it was like it was racing an Olympic runner. She wanted this feeling, no she needed this feeling more in her life. She was grateful for her seated position because her legs had never felt so weak before. She knew if they had attempted a round three her body would be completely numb. Shikamaru still had a hungry look in his eyes when she peered over. She craved for the taste of his lips but felt so weak and knew that feeling would only deepen with another sampling. She had to do control herself as did Shikamaru.

To get her point across that she was done her head drooped onto his chest and she curled as much as her body against his. The baby bump made this task a bit difficult but Ino made it work. She had become a master of working around the protrusion, she had just maintained a make out session perfectly fine.

She felt his hand stroking the soft blonde tresses on her head with one hand. His other hand was now resting on her baby bump. The moment was as sweet as honey and Ino wanted to bathe in it.

"We're going to have to work on your stamina once this baby is born. You pulled away first both times." Shikamaru teased with a smirk. Ino blushed darker than she thought humanly possible. Well the moment _had been_ sweet.

"Oh shut up." Ino scoffed and slapped the hand that rested on her belly.

"It's not my fault I have lungs of steel."

"Oh big deal, you can hold your breath underwater for a minute. I haven't been able to exercise as much because _someone_ got me pregnant." Ino shot back and narrowed her eyes up at the brunette.

"It's a _minute_ _and twenty seven seconds_ for your information." He rebuked.

"Whatever. Hey where's Chouji?" Ino asked curiously. Shikamaru looked around the room and sensed no presence of the boy.

"Are you guys done?" Said boy called from the stairway. He had come down to see his best friends in a complete make out session and decided to retreat back up the stairs. The sight was still awkward for his auburn eyes to see.

"Uh yeah, did you find a movie?" Shikamaru answered nervously. He shared a look of embarrassment with his girlfriend before looking back at his other best friend.

"Yep, something nice and comforting after that horrible movie you made me watch. I thought Ino would feel better after watching it too but it looks like you figured what was wrong with her Shikamaru." Chouji nodded and inserted the disc into the player.

Never once had Ino wanted to punch Chouji through a wall more than that moment. She thought she had finally gotten Shikamaru off her back after that lip lock but when she spared a glance at him she realized she was practically going to be interrogated when Chouji left.


	44. Chapter 44

_"What am I supposed to do mom?" Ino whined as she paced furiously around her bedroom. It was a day before Shikamaru's birthday and she had no gift. The pressure to find the perfect gift was unbearable for her. Sure he was a pain in the ass to shop for but she always found something suitable on her first shopping trip. Ino had visited all the shops within Konoha and left empty handed after all of them. It was absolutely positively, unbelievably, ridiculous! If only they were just kids, she could always get him some strange gift that he appreciated but now everything seemed too simple. Nothing screamed 'Shikamaru' to her._

_"You're overthinking this Ino, just relax and an idea will come to you." Her mother sighed. She had been listening to her daughter rant for well over an hour on the topic and it was giving her a headache. Nothing could calm her down._

_"You and I both know that won't work." Ino scoffed and slumped on her vanity chair. Walking around was becoming just as troublesome as picking out a present for her boyfriend. It felt like she spent the majority of her day sitting or laying down and she hated the lack of movement._

_"Has he hinted about anything?" Her mother suggested. She assumed her daughter was too focused on finding a gift that she had overlooked plenty of good options. _

_"Nope and he hasn't told me anything about my gift either. How am I supposed to know my price range for this!" Ino grumbled and punched one of her pillows to let out her frustration. _

_"So you don't have any ideas?" _

_"Nothing seemed good enough." _

_"Well I do have one, but I don't know if you're ready for it." Her mother replied. It would be a very mature step for her daughter and big promise to make. However it could be just the right solution to her daughter's dilemma. _

_"Tell me." Ino ordered. She didn't care about the little warning her mother gave her. Any idea would suffice. _

_"Well it's what you're father gave me on my twenty seventh birthday, but you're going to have to tweak it a little. What he did was..."_

* * *

"For goodness sakes Shikamaru it's about your present alright! Now stop asking me about it because I don't want to give it away before tonight." Ino finally surrendered after his endless questions. For the 'present' to work the moment had to be special and surprising for him like her mother had said. Everything had to be just right and that meant no spoilers about her gift.

"You've been this worked up over _my present_? Honestly Ino that's crazy, even for you." Shikamaru scoffed with a heavy roll of his eyes. He knew his tastes were hard to shop for but he didn't think they could make Ino that nervous. He knew wanted gift she got him would be great because they always had been. Sometimes a bit odd but always something he treasured. Speaking of his present he hadn't seen Ino's at all, did she even bring it? He thought it was a bit much to be that secretive over it but then again he was talking about Ino so it matched her perfectly.

"I just really want you to like it." She mumbled and sunk deeper into his sofa. She needed him to love it really. It was such a risky choice so it needed to be worth it.

"I'm sure I will." He assured and moved to the opposite side of the sofa to be beside his girl. During his questioning he made her go on the other side so she couldn't pull the same trick on him. He did admit her impromptu make out session had made him forget about his questions, but luckily Chouji had reminded him. However he wasn't going to fall for it again. Ino used that trick on him so many times and every time he fell for it so he had to plan ahead and keep her away. She pouted at him and grumbled all the way to the other side at a snail's pace.

"You said I had to stay away from you remember?" Ino sniffed and turned away from him.

"I didn't mean for the whole night." He groaned and brought his arms around her. His confident smirk turned into a frown when moved them off her. The girl was now just trying to be troublesome, he decided.

"I don't want to cuddle with you." Ino huffed and swatted his incoming hand.

"And why is that?" He asked. She always wanted to cuddle. Always. He enjoyed the activity as well. For one it was a very pleasant feeling to have her in his arms. It made his overprotective instincts lessen when he knew she was safely with him. Another thing cuddling did was offer a guaranteed happy Ino. It always worked to cheer her up and he knew it.

"Because you wrongfully exiled me." She pouted and turned around to glare at him. She did not appreciate being sent to the other side of the couch.

"I did not exile you, I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't pull that little trick on me again." Shikamaru objected. His idea seemed like a good one at the time but now he was regretting it.

"But you enjoyed it, and don't you dare say you didn't." She shot back. It was a sly move on her part but he would've never known. Chouji had to bring it up again and ruin it however. After the movie their friend had selected was finished Shikamaru successfully coaxed him into leaving the rest of the day to them. Ino had objected the idea but naturally Chouji left his best friends be. He probably thought they wanted to make out again.

"Of course I did. But you only did it so I would forget about your mood. Didn't you?" He smirked back at her. Ino guiltily grinned at him before hardening her features once again. She had to seem madder than she actually was. In truth she had gotten over her seat on the couch when he first moved closer but decided to have some fun with it.

"You were annoying me with all your questions."

"Well you're attitude was annoying me." He replied with another roll of his eyes.

"You know calling me annoying really isn't helping your chances of cuddling." Ino muttered and crossed her arms. Her back was now turned to him again. She felt him get off the sofa. Did she go too far?

"Where are you going?" She asked and turned to see him by the stairway. Her eyebrows were raised at him in anticipation for his answer.

"To get something that will raise my chances. Close your eyes." He replied and waited for her eyes to shut before heading to his bedroom. Ino wondered what on earth he was doing but if he was willing to put in some extra effort then she was all for cuddling.

"Keep your eyes closed alright." He announced when she heard his footsteps coming back down the stairs. Ino remained blind to the world but sighed at how painfully slow his footsteps were being. It was like he was trying to make her more anxious for his surprise. She remebered it was Shikamaru so he definitely was.

"Will you hurry up!" She barked once her patience began to thin. Obviously he understood how impatient she was because instead of walking around the sofa to sit by her, he hopped over the backing of it and onto the cushion beside her. He smirked at her squeal of delight. He was surprised she had listened to his order and kept her eyes closed.

Ino felt warmth engulf her and snuggled closer to the soft material. She hadn't even registered it as his arms until he told her to open her eyes and saw him smiling down at her. She was wrapped in the softest material that had ever clad his arms. All her false anger had disappeared at that moment.

"This is so soft." She stated happily. It made the butterflies in her stomach take a break to allow her this moment.

"My mom got it for my birthday. In fact she got it for this precise reason." Shikamaru replied and silently thanked his mother. Now he had another way to get Ino in his arms, even when she threw little fits like this one. He could also hold it against her.

"You know I'm going to make you wear this all the time." Ino warned and snuggled until she was practically buried in the material. It felt just like a fleece blanket around. She had never felt more comfort than being cuddled in his arms. Her mind had completely erased her anxiety.

"I love you." She murmured softly. The phrase rolled off the tongue to her now.

"I love you too." Shikamaru replied. He lifted Ino's face and was met with a pout from removing her from snuggling her nose in his sweater. That pout melted when he captured her lips in his. However it was his turn to pout when she pulled away after only a few seconds.

"Why'd you stop?" He questioned in a less than content tone.

"Silly Shika, I can't kiss you seriously when you're wearing a sweater like this. It's purely a cuddling sweater." Ino replied like it was a scientific fact. In her mind it was.

"Okay so if this is a purely cuddling sweater than what would be a purely kissing garment be?" Shikamaru asked curiously. If there was such an article of clothing then he would definitely hit the mall if need be. That would be something worth the investment.

Ino tilted her head to the side in deep thought. She had never thought about it before. Maybe a leather jacket could work? Ino couldn't imagine her boyfriend wearing something that however. At least not the cool biker kind that she was imagining. A wife beater shirt was another option. She had seen him wear them during summer but it seemed so out of place in winter. She was sure there was a garment of clothing that existed. Or maybe there wasn't...

"There isn't one." She stated. She could see the disappointment in his dark eyes and smirked.

"In fact the only thing that would be a definite kiss would have to be wearing no shirt at all." She added. Her teasing smile made Shikamaru wish she wasn't so close to his front as it was getting very hard.

"Well I suppose that makes things a bit easier."

* * *

Ino stared nervously at the two bags in front of her. Their mothers had stopped by the Nara residence a few minutes prior. Ino had received an over night bag because she didn't get the memo that she was sleeping over, alone. Her mother had also given her a small bag with the physical aspects of the gift. Ino hoped she had good taste when she picked them out. Her mother had also given Shikamaru a present, one that made Ino blush darkly. Her mother had given a warning glare and a box of condoms.

_"I don't want a second grandchild anytime soon." _She warned. With that her and Yoshino had departed for a 'mom' day. Ino knew it was just an excuse to leave their children alone. She didn't know what they expected them to do however.

"So what now?" Shikamaru asked as he lifted himself up onto a sitting position on his bed.

"You pick, it's your birthday after all." Ino replied with a shrug.

"Sleep sounds nice." He mumbled and set his head back on his pillow. Ino rolled her eyes at his laziness. Only he would take a nap on his birthday. However if that really how he wanted to spend his birthday then she'd let him.

"Hey when do you think we'll use these?" Ino asked and held the box of condoms.

"I guess whenever you feel ready after the baby is born." He replied.

"But won't you have to be ready too?" She asked all too innocently. His low chuckle at the question made her realize her mistake. His sly smirk made her punch his leg.

"Perv." She huffed.

"I'm a teenage boy Ino, what did you honestly expect?"

* * *

It was eleven at night now. Ino was about to burst with anxiousness. They usually opened gifts closer to midnight but Ino couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Can I give you my gift now?" She asked desperately. His dark eyes looked at the clock and then back at her in confusion. She was very strict with traditions and never attempted to break them. Well until now.

"Don't you think it's kind of early?" He asked to make sure she was aware of the time.

"Only by like half an hour. I just really can't wait." She responded even more desperately. She was afraid she'd lose her nerve if she waited any longer. But she needed to spit it out.

"Fine but you're not getting yours until after midnight." He replied. If this was a ploy to get her gift early than he wasn't going to fall for it. She'd have to be patient.

"That's fine." Ino nodded and inhaled deeply. She didn't even know where to start. She had hardly practiced this because she wanted it to be genuine but she regretted that. There was so much she was supposed to say but it was all leaving her mind. Her palms were sweaty and her throat was dry. God she wanted to just get this over with.

"Alright I'm probably going to ramble a lot but hear me out alright." She began and felt her heart racing. He patiently nodded for her to continue.

"So gift giving for you is really, really hard and I had an extremely tough time trying to find something. Apparently my dad did this for my mom one year and I thought it was perfect so here we go." Ino continued shakily. Her voice was shaking just as much as her hands. Shikamaru was beginning to understand why she had been so nervous all day if this was his she was acting about a present. Still he didn't interrupt her speech and waited when she took a moment to take a deep breath.

"Besides my mom, you're the only person I can trust with anything in the world. I hope I'm that person for you too. I've loved you longer than I realized and you'll always be the starring role in my heart. You're always there for me and I will always be there for you. No matter what you need. I can't imagine my life without you in it and I don't even want to think about it. It would b-be unbearable." She carried on. Tears were welling up in her eyes that she hadn't expected to form this early. She was well aware she'd get emotional over pouring her heart out but it still felt so strange. She was only in the middle of the speech.

"And what I'm about to propose for us is something I never would've imagined saying. I know I'm supposed to get on one knee but that's kind of impossible at the moment. I want to marry you Shikamaru Nara. I've never wanted something more in my whole life. But I don't mean we have to do it right away. I don't even mean when we're eighteen. In fact I want to wait and see what the future holds for us. When we're b-both finished with college and have stable jobs and are taking care of our little baby, then I want to make it official. I know marriages based on pregnancy rarely work so that's why I want to base it off our l-love and not the fact I'm pregnant with your kid. We can do it. That's why even though it's very early for me to say this I'm doing it anyway. So I suppose this isn't really a proposal...but more like a promise. A promise that one day I will marry you. And before that and after I will remain o-only yours and...you'll be only mine." Ino resumed. Thin lines of tears were falling down her face and onto her lap. She knew they weren't stopping anytime soon. She wiped them off with her sleeve anyway and picked up the small bag with two velvet boxes. One was dark blue velvet, Shikamaru's and the the other was purple velvet, Ino's. She picked up the dark blue box carefully in her trembling hands.

"So if you accept this promise wear this ring to remind you of it everyday." She stated and opened the box to reveal a simple silver band. Please say yes, Ino begged in her mind. Shikamaru's hands were shaking as well as he slid the band onto his finger.

"Of course I do Ino." He beamed. He had never felt a feeling of pure happiness before this moment. Everything felt like it clicked in place at that exact second. He felt her tears of happiness against his cheeks when he dipped his head to kiss her perfectly pink lips. Apparently the fact he was wearing his cuddling sweater didn't keep her from kissing back. He swore his hold on her was never going to break. He was glad her eyes were closed so she wouldn't see his misted over eyes.

"I love you so much Ino." He declared into her lips. She couldn't muster any words, now being in a state of hectic joy. Every year she shed was out of happiness and there were lots of them. Anyone else would've thought she was an emotional wreck, just not the good kind that she was experiencing.

"I'm s-sorry for cr-rying so m-much." She hiccuped as she pulled away and hugged him tightly.

"It's alright Ino." Shikamaru reassured and cradled her against his chest. He probably would've cried that much if she hadn't done it for him. That didn't stop a few stray happy tears from slipping out of his eyes.

He eyed the bag on his bag and saw another box peaking out. He assumed it was her ring too. He opened the purple velvet box and saw a thin silver band with a tiny diamond in the middle.

"I needed o-one too." Ino commented. She was beginning to finally feel calm again. She reached for the box to place the ring on her finger but he held it out of her reach.

"Let me." He ordered. He slowly slid the ring onto her finger and smiled at how perfect it looked on her. He planted a light kiss on her hand as well. Now everyone knew they belonged to each other.

Man my present can't top this, Shikamaru inwardly groaned.


	45. Chapter 45

Shikamaru could say that he was utterly shocked at Ino's almost-proposal. She insisted it was more like a promise to marry in the future. Naturally he agreed with the idea wholeheartedly. He knew Ino was an unpredictable girl but this time aha had caught him off guard completely. That shock had yet to seize.

The silver of his ring glinted in the moonlight of his room. He already felt like it had become a part of him. He wondered if Ino felt the same way about the band on her finger. Knowing how attached she got to just about everything he assumed she did. Her extreme loyalty was both admirable and extremely annoying if it went to the wrong person. Shikamaru tended to use her beloved childhood crush Sasuke as an example much to her chargin.

When he peered down at said woman she was still sound asleep nestled in her covers. After he had managed to calm himself back into reality he had waited several and then some minutes for her to do the same. Once the large mass of minutes had passed and she was still the dictionary's entry of hysterical, however she managed to accuse her pregnancy hormones during her tears of joy, Shikamaru decided it was time that she rested. It wasn't nearly as difficult to get her asleep as usual that time. Her energy continued into the night on most occacsions which hindered her ability to fall asleep. Shikamaru wouldn't have cared but she refused to allow him to sleep until she was thoroughly tired.

The list of tasks was unbearably long. One was to play 'relaxing' music but not ocean sounds because those made her need to pee. Another was to give a massage to her unnaturally tense muscles, he had no clue how they remained so tense on a daily basis. And if he physically wasn't there with her then he'd have to talk about hair day on the phone because apparently it was boring enough to get her tired. One of the easier ones was to read her quotes from a meditation book. A more difficult one was to cuddle her at a very precise level because if it was too light then she wouldn't notice and if it was too hard she'd get uncomfortable and if it was perfectly in between then she'd want to have a cuddle session instead of sleeping, so he held her close to a between state but leaning on the harder side. She liked it when her raked his fingers through her silky hair but it was never enough to satisfy her unless he was doing something else. One task that he actually enjoyed doing was fetching the royal blue sweatshirt he had given her over a year ago. Normally he didn't like her wearing his clothes unless it was out of convenience but the way she always seemed to light up when she wore it made him smile every single time. Maybe it was because it meant so much to her in a time of need and continued to serve its purpose for her. Either way having his sweatshirt on made her cozier and more susceptible to fatigue. His personal least favorite but one of easiest was to sing some lullaby her father used to sing to her when she was little. He hated singing with an immense passion but according to her his low, raspy, and whiny tone was music to her ears. He couldn't fathom why.

On most days at least three of those tasks had to be done but today she was content with soothing words and the feeling of tension leaving her shoulders. She was out in less than five minutes. That had become a personal record for both of them. Shikamaru believed the amount of tears that had been shed aided in the snoozing. He looked over at his clock and saw it was well past midnight which meant it was well past time to give her his gift. She'd probably yell at him when she awoke for breaking tradition but he knew that moment would pass eventually and she'd be glad to be given rest. Having her in a refreshed and peppier mods would be better for everyone she came across.

He wanted her to sleep away her memory that it was now her birthday. Of course she wouldn't but a guy could dream. He hadn't been worried about his gift to her earlier. He knew she'd love it and the rest of the day would be smooth sailing. But now the scrapbook wouldn't measure up to what her gift had been, at least in his mind it didn't. Yes, she'd still love it but it was just a material object. She had given him everything he dreamed of and more. He hated feeling so insecure about it but no other emotion had replaced it yet.

Despite his previous idea to let her sleep, he found himself poking her cheek to her her attention. He might as well bite the ballet after all.

"Hey Ino it's your birthday." He whispered as to not disturb anyone else in his house. He knew that would get her awake and he smirked when her eyes opened eagerly.

"It's already two am! Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" Ino demanded. She sat up sharply and crossed her arms over her bump. Her eyes were already bright and in a glare at him. Shikamaru had never seen someone snap out of sleep and into energy so easily.

"I didn't want to wake you up."

"But it's our tradition to give presents at midnight." She pouted and preceded to untangle herself from the layers of blankets he had placed around her. She understood the weather was getting colder but did he honestly have to put more than one blanket on her.

"You gave me mine around eleven so you already broke the tradition anyway." He shrugged and crossed the room to take her poorly wrapped present off his desk. The effort of wrapping a present was too much for him yet Kurenai refused to let him just put it in a bag like he usually did.

"But it was closer to midnight than two am." She huffed and snatched her gift out of his hands. She gave the terrible wrappings no mind and tore away each piece.

"I know it's not as good as yours but-" He warned but a squeal of pure delight interrupted him. Her blue eyes were bursting with excitement as she scanned the cover of the scrapbook. Each detail had been run over by her fingertips.

"Um Mirai and Kurenai helped me make it." He nervously added and say next to her. He hoped she wouldn't accuse him of being too lazy to do it himself.

"I see. That explains these little doodles." She beamed and pointed at a scribble that vaguely reminded her of a flower. She hadn't even opened the booklet yet and she already adored it. Every detail was so personal and unique that it made her heart melt.

Finally she decided to open the book and her heart melted even more. More designs and doodles as well a note written by the blushing boy beside her. She give his hand a squeeze before reading the note over.

_Ino, _

_Well first of all happy birthday. Secondly I can't take full ownership of this idea because Kurenai came up with it but I knew it was perfect for you so here you go. I know how sentimental you are and I want you to always remember what these pictures meant. Well most of them because some of them were taken when we were like five but remember the rest because they're what our relationship started as and how it is now and how I always want it to be. When I went through these all our memories came back to me and I hope that happens to you too because they're special, just like you are to me. Now I could say something super mushy but then I'd have to throw this whole book out the window and start over. Besides I think I've made it pretty clear how important you are to me and how much I love you. And I case I haven't the answer to both is more than anything. And I know that makes me overprotective and jealous sometimes(and I know you get that way about me too by the way) but that's because I need you in my life. So if anything were to try to take you away from me I couldn't let that happen. I'll always be insecure around other and better guys(and before you stop reading this to tell me otherwise please don't because it won't help anything. So continue this note). However I'll never let it affect me too much so don't worry about it. I know I give you enough stuff to worry about as it is but you give me a fair share as well. You're undoubtfully the most troublesome woman I know(yes even more than my mother but for different reasons) but strangely I don't want that to ever change. In fact I don't want you to change anything about yourself and I hope you want the same for me. I know the roots of our romantic relationship weren't ideal but that won't stop them from growing. We're going to great parents to our son and that's a fact. But we'll cross that bridge in very near future so just enjoy your birthday gift and the rest of your birthday _

"You're the best Shikamaru!" Ino cheered and glomped her boyfriend quickly. He moved an arm around her shoulders and smirked at her beaming smile.

"Aw you're not going to start crying again are you?" He sighed. She hadn't even looked at a single picture yet and she was already emotional. He couldn't wait for her pregnancy hormones to evaporate. He was relieved when she shook her head in the crook of her arm and the pulled back to continue reading her gift.

Her focus fell on each photograph with the same amount of intensity as when she was taking an exam. She was completely captivated. Ino couldn't believe her lazy boyfriend had managed to hunt down these photographs and meticulously decorate each page around them. Some were from early childhood to ones Ino didn't even realize had been taken. Apparently Chouji heavily enjoyed photographing them. She didn't mind since each one tugged at a different heartstring.

"This is amazing." She whispered in awe halfway through.

"Nothing less would be suitable for my princess." He smirked. She understood the reference from one of the pictures of her adorned in a princess costume while he was a prince. _Her_ prince to be exact.

Ino continued in admiration through the pages at a pace that a snail could beat. Shikamaru let it slide because he knew she was savoring every inch of the pages. He chuckled when her eyebrows were raised at the blank page at the end.

"So you're laziness caught up to huh?" She teased and rolled her eyes at him. Even if that was the case she loved the gift and it would become a precious treasure to her.

"Well surprisingly no I was actually thinking we could do that one together when the baby is born." He replied. Her eyes somehow managed to light up even more at that.

"I'd love that!" She squealed and once again latched onto him.

"I know, that's why I left it blank. A nice tactic on my part."

"Oh please don't ruin this moment with your narcissism." She groaned and flicked his forehead. He lightly chuckled in agreement, even though his plan had gone exactly how he wanted it.


	46. Chapter 46

Ino knew exactly who she was eavesdropping on even from behind the hallway corner. She had known those two girls so long that she didn't need to see Hinata's ink black hair or Sakura's pink locks to tell. She used to be close friends with both of them. Well she and Hinata had maintained a polite relationship but her and Sakura had become a completely different story.

"S-so when do you think her due date is?" Hinata asked her pink haired friend. Ino smirked at the shy girl's signature stutter, it was always a dead giveaway to identify her. It had gotten better since they were children but it still made an appearance in her sentences.

"She's gotta pop soon. I mean just look at her." Ino's ex-best friend replied. They hadn't spoken to each other since her pregnancy got revealed but that didn't mean they stopped talking about each other. Ino was well aware of how her reputation had worsened more than it had to because of Sakura. Some spilled secrets here and a few exaggerated stories there and she was in a deep pit of unpopularity. And as much as Ino hated how suddenly and harshly it happened she was thankful for it now. It gave her friends that stood by her through this hard time and not ones that exploited it to help their own popularity.

As much as Ino wanted to snap at fire back at Sakura she always kept her mouth shut. It wouldn't solve anything and would probably only spread more tumors about her. She didn't even put in the effort to glare at the girl with artificial pink hair. She was taking the high road. But now she realized she could handle a little extra teasing if it meant sticking up for herself. There wasn't else that could possibly sink her lower on the popularity pyramid anymore.

"I'm not a balloon you know." She commented just loud enough for the two girls to hear her. It was time for the no-nonsense Ino to come out, she had been trapped inside cordial Ino for too long.

"I-Ino! I didn't realize you were standing there." Sakura stammered when Ino appeared before them. One of her blonde eyebrows was perfectly arched and her lips were pursed at the pinkette.

"To answer your question Hinata I'm due the second week of November. However it's more of an estimate." Ino stated now turning to said girl. She was looking down at her loafers in embarrassment. Well at least she has a conscience, Ino thought.

"Oh that's not even a month away!" Sakura exclaimed. Ino knew she was trying to avert attention from being caught mocking her. She did hate being caught in a poor light.

"That's very exciting Ino." Hinata added with a polite smile. Ino knew she was genuine so she gave a small smile as well.

"It really is. I can't wait to be a parent." Ino replied smugly. If she showed she didn't care than Sakura wouldn't have any fuel. But she had to make sure.

"Want to go spread that around the school too?" She asked even more smugly. She wanted the girl to feel guilty after all.

"What do you mean by that?" Sakura scoffed defensively. Ino was almost hoping she would say that. It meant she could serve back what Sakura tried to deal to her.

"Well I mean you've been trying to completely bury my social standing by spreading rumor after rumor about me to raise your own. I've always been more popular than you and I guess now you can finally act on your jealousy. But the funny thing is you're still not at the top of the popularity pyramid, that's Ami. You're not even second, that's Matsuri, and Hinata's third so you still can't be considered _popular_. In fact all this badmouthing has actually _hurt_ your reputation so please by all means continue. Because quite frankly I don't care anymore." Ino replied with an amount of sass that even she didn't realize she could use. She was extremely proud of herself. So proud that she didn't even bother to hear Sakura's stuttering response and instead flipped her platinum ponytail and sauntered down the hallway to her next period.

"Well I see her sass is back and now up to eleven." Chouji muttered slightly in fear to his best friend. Shikamaru nodded as he watched his very pregnant girlfriend walk the halls like she owned them. It reminded him of how she acted before he knocked her up. He was glad she was feeling like herself but he was scared that snappy Ino would come back. There had been signs during the pregnancy but nothing like her thirteen year old self. That was an Ino era he feared but ironically was the one that made him love her.

"Time to watch our tongues again." He yawned.

"Just like the old days." Chouji agreed.

* * *

"Good for you Ino." Karin complimented after Ino told her about the hallway encounter. Now this was the type of friend Ino wanted in her life and she got it by getting her reality check.

She despised the situation for so long that she became blinded by what it actually brought her. Her best friend became her wonderful boyfriend and semi-fiancé as Ino liked to call him. He was also go to raise their baby just like if he was a thirty-something year old man. Age somehow didn't matter to them. They knew eventually they'd run into some skeptical looks in the future but neither of them thought about it too much.

She got closer to old friends like Naruto and Kiba. She cursed at herself for letting those friendships slip in the first place in favor for fake friends. Popularity didn't matter at all to her now and she wished she had learned that lesson sooner. It wasn't going to matter when she applied for a job that she used to the queen of her measly high school.

What would matter was the kind of person she was. Her pregnancy had taught her dignity and integrity as well as humility. There were so many times that she just wanted everything to disappear and give up but that was never an option. She learned that she truly couldn't give up or even half ass her way through life. Shikamaru still needed to learn that but he was taking baby steps. Her protective instincts definitely heightened to scary levels too.

Hell it even gave her a great college essay topic that got her accepted into her top three schools. She hadn't told anyone yet because she knew they'd just put their input. Ino wanted the decision to be all her own. She didn't care if someone viewed that as selfish. Her 'top' pick was more out of practicality since it was forty five minutes away from Konoha. It offered a good amount of classes but Ino felt like they were just average. She wanted something harder and this was also the easiest college she applied too. But she'd be close to her baby so it would be worth it, right? Her 'second' pick was an hour and a half away but had a better reputation. There were more classes in her major, which she decided to make botany. She was also thinking about doing a minor in psychology, that class had been her favorite in all four years of high school. However while its reputation was great academically, it was also considered very...wild. Ino wasn't sure how much she'd be able to handle it especially with a child that she'd visit every weekend. That child certainly couldn't visit her in that atmosphere. She also knew her mother and boyfriend wouldn't be exactly thrilled if she went there. Then there was her 'last' pick which was actually her favorite university of all. She told herself it was in last place because it was the least practical as far as time wise. It was two hours away at least. But it's campus was gorgeous and its classes were the same as her second pick. But their reputation was even better and would look amazing if she wanted to go to grad school. It was in a safe and cozy neighborhood so Shikamaru and their kid could visit as well. The price was also highest. So in nearly every aspect it was perfect but were the few aspects it wasn't too big to look over?

"Hey Ino, did you fall asleep on me?" Karin questioned with an red eybrow raised.

"Oh no I was just thinking about colleges. Have you picked one yet?"

"I've got two in the running. One's all the way on the other side of the country but it is amazing. It's got a really great pre-med program. And the other is only a couple of hours away. It's pretty great too but I think I like the first one better. It's just so far away you know?" Karin replied eagerly. She couldn't wait to get out of high school and leave those years in the past. Ino was looking forward to the same thing.

"But wouldn't it be worth it?" Ino wondered. She wanted to see what this girl would answer and maybe that would help her decision.

"I think so but my family is so important to me. I don't know if I could be that far, I mean I'd really only get holidays. But it is a way better school and I'm a canidate for early admission too. I have all my credits already so I could start next semester maybe." She responded and her brown eyes lit up at the last part.

"That's awesome Karin!" The blonde cheered.

"Thanks but I doubt I'll take it. Like I said its probably too far. What about you, how's your university hunting going?"

"Well I got accepted into my top three. But I don't know which one I'm going to though. There's one I like the most but it's two hours away which is the furthest from here. It's got these really great classes and is in this beautiful neighborhood. But I probably won't end up going because it is pretty far from the baby. Then there's Thai other one which is really close but is the worst academically. I mean is not bad but not as good as the others. Then I guess there's the medium option but I just don't get a good vibe from it. It seems off to me. So basically I have three options but I have no idea which one to pick." She explained. She felt like if she had to ask advice from someone, Karin would be the most unbiased. Ino could trust her opinion.

"Hm practicality, academically, or a mixture of both with a bad reputation. I'd probably say no to the close one. You don't seem like the type of girl to settle. Typically the happy medium is the way to go but if your heart isn't in it then what's the point? But that third option is the one your eyes lit up at, even if it's the least practical. Sure it's kinda far but still within reason so it's not as bad as you think. And like you said the neighborhood is great so the baby could visit you as well. I'd say go with that one since it's the one you actually want."

"It is my favorite but it isn't just my decision. I've got to put my family first. Shikamaru would probably rather me go to that close school just for the sake of reason and logic. My mother would agree too." Ino shrugged solemnly. Their approval was important to the decision too even if she wished it wasn't.

"You haven't told them yet?" Karin asked with widened eyes. They widened more when Ino nodded.

"Why the hell not? If they're so important to this then shouldn't you get their imput?"

"Because they'll get mad if I choose something different. Like I said neither of them would want me to be that far even if it is an amazing school."

"Well that's too bad for them. They should be happy for you, I know I am." Karin sighed and pulled the packet that peeked out of Ino's bag. Sure enough it was for that university. Ino shot her a confused expression.

"So when Shikamaru meets you outside today you'll show him this and make him accept it."


	47. Chapter 47

Ino watched eagerly as Shikamaru scrutinized each page of the university packet Karin had pushed her to give him. She noted he didn't seem upset by it so far. He had began to read it once the drive home began and he was already halfway through. He was completely focused on the content that he didn't even comment on it. This left her to chat with the driver, Chouji.

"So where are you thinking of going?" Ino asked. They hadn't discussed their future plans for the most part. She knew they'd be more emotional about it than their more reserved friend.

"Well there's this one school in Suna that I'm leaning towards." He replied cheerfully. Ino knew how excited he was to get into that school since it was a bit of a risk given his GPA. So when he got the acceptance letter he was completely ecstatic. The three of them had agreed to celebrate that weekend and Chouji expected them to announce their selections by then as well.

Ino had made it clear that it was Shikamaru's decision to pick his school but that didn't mean she couldn't place in her two cents on the matter. He had already chosen to do a year of community classes before applying to a more prestigious university. She was actually quite surprised at the amount of options in their area. She preferred the one just outside of Konoha since it was more well known and beneficial than some of the others. However the choice was up to him and she truly couldn't tell what way his mind was going.

"Just go for it. It's your obvious favorite." Ino encouraged. After all it's what she wanted herself to do. The school Shikamaru was reading about was a dream but she couldn't go there if it was too much of a bother for him. She also had to get her mother on board with the idea.

"So is that college Shikamaru's reading about the one you want to go to the most?" Chouji questioned. He assumed it was but Ino always liked to keep people on their toes.

"Yeah I'm pretty sure. It's two hours away though which might be hard to manage." Ino replied. Her heart was telling her to go but that one detail was making her brain say no. It was so frustrating! Ino hated when she got conflicted since it made decision making that much harder, it was already a difficult task. Her whole body was in a tug of war with itself.

"Well if anyone can do it it'd be you." Chouji stated confidently while turning in his seat to wink back at her. He was always the encouraging type. It was a refreshing change to have his optimism rather than Shikamaru's pessimism. He was the second person to encourage this college to her so maybe it truly was the right one. She felt like it was but there was still that constant nagging in the back of her mind. Hopefully if her mother and Shikamaru agreed with her heart then she could make the choice with no regrets.

"I agree." Their previously silent friend stated as he handed the packet back to Ino.

"You already finished it?" She asked more astounded than curious. She knew his reading speed was high but there was no way he could've read a fifty some pages in fifteen minutes.

"I skimmed some stuff like sororities but I got the gist of it. It'll suit you well." He shrugged as nonchalantly as always. Ino didn't expect him to get emotional or anything of that nature about it but she expected him to not be so completely calm about it. She assumed he'd probably question her relentlessly until he was certain it was a good fit. Ino doubted he'd be able to cast his judgement after just skimming a packet.

"You really think so?" She questioned more skeptically than she intended. She blamed it on the raised eyebrow.

"Of course I do. It's very much your personality; cheerful and overachieving. I mean it's got four pages dedicated to clubs and organizations. It's got another four pages full of all its awards." He stated. He held back an eye roll which surprising for him given how much he wanted to. The school was great, he wasn't going to deny that, however he thought it was just a bit extra. Ino would see it differently he already knew so he kept that opinion to himself.

Anyone could spot the content glint in her eyes and her beaming smile when it came to this certain university. He was sitting right next to her and he felt like sunglasses would be appropriate given how bright and happy she was. It was extremely upbeat moods that had become a rare occurance as of late so he decided to savor it by holding down his snarky banter.

"So even though it's two hours away it's okay?"

"Ino, your making two hours sound like two days. It's really not that far if you put it in perspective." He muttered tiredly. Sure anymore than two hours would be an issue to him but it wasn't as bad as Ino was making it out to be. It's a small price to pay for being able to see their kid every weekend.

"Yeah I guess you're right. I've just got to get my license, and so do you lazy pants." Ino replied and pointed an accusing finger at her boyfriend. She hadn't felt up to it since her pregnancy but he had no excuse. Having to be constantly driven around was truly a pain in the ass. It would be extremely troublesome with a child.

"I'll get to it." Shikamaru yawned. The finger Ino had pointed at him now poked his chest impatiently. When he was unresponsive she poked him again...and again, and once more for good measure. His lips had turned down in a frown at the blonde.

"Yes you will. And sooner rather than later." She stated like it was the most universal fact in the world. Shikamaru sighed at the bossiness in her tone now knowing it wasn't go to disappear. In his mind his world could only get more troublesome from this point on.

"Maybe next weekend." He suggested. He regretted it right after, already knowing Ino's response to it.

"You're free _this_ weekend though." She replied with crossed arms. There it is, he thought.

"I'm aware. So I'm going to use it to practice which I haven't done much of lately. Then next weekend I'll take the test." He explained. The frown on his face became a smirk once Ino pouted at his logical answer, the answer she hadn't thought of. Chouji snickered to himself as well.

"Don't worry Ino I'll make sure he practices this weekend." He assured as he pulled into the driveway of Shikamaru's house.

"I'm going to hold you to that. Anyways see you tomorrow Chouji!" Ino warned in such a cheerful way that Chouji wondered if it even counted as a warning. Once she and his other best friend had stepped out and he returned Ino's small wave he sped off leaving Shikamaru to suffer through Ino's whinings.

"So our moms got some new paint samples for the nursery. I still like that sea foam color they picked out Monday though." Ino informed as she let herself into the Nara household. They had decided this house would be the one with the nursery because it would overall mean less moving since Shikamaru was going to stay there while he did his schooling.

They'd already seen plenty of paint samples but still wanted more options, well Ino wanted more options. Green or blue was the color scheme but other than that they didn't have a concrete idea of what their baby's room would look it. Her mother had provided a secret baby shower for her so they had plenty of baby clothes and diapers and a couple decorations. There was currently a debate on a star and moon mobile versus a zoo animal mobile. Ino wanted the stars but Shikamaru liked the animals better. Surprisingly that argument hadn't gone in Ino's favor right away.

"Yeah that one was pretty nice." He agreed with a nod. He preferred the sage green over the seafoam but Ino wasn't as impressed with it.

"We picked some more blues, they're upstairs if you want to see them." Yoshino announced as she greeted them in the entry corridor. Her hands immediately flew to Ino's belly and smiled proudly when she was rewarded a kick. She was more excited about the baby than she let on. After all it was so lonely whenever Shikamaru was away but now she got to be closer to Ino, her mother, and a little baby. Sure the circumstance wasn't ideal but it wasn't awful either.

"Oh you're getting so big my dear." She squealed.

"I feel like an elephant." Ino grumbled less enthusiastically. She truly did miss her old physique. She found herself to curve in the right places, her weight was correct for her small height and also slender, she even had abs from her cheerleading days. Sure she wanted a better butt but besides that she was very pleased with her appearance. Now there was a giant bulge coming out of her front and she had gained weight everywhere. She knew she get rid of it all but it would still take months and that she didn't like. The only bright side she found was that her breasts had grown considerably. The down side to that was she had nothing to wear to brag about them since her whole wardrobe was maternity clothes. However they did give Shikamaru a better mood when he got to cuddle in them.

"I think you look absolutely radiant. You've really got that pregnancy glow." Yoshino replied back. Ino couldn't deny that. Her morning routine had gotten much faster since she never had to face makeup anymore. It really gave her time to perfect her winged eyeliner and she was very proud of it.

"Can we move this along?" Shikamaru groaned. He was at surprised when the women shot him identical glares and continued their chat however. They were so similar it was scary. He was very aware of what he was getting to after ending raised by the bossiest woman known to man.

"Are you really in that much of a rush to see paint samples?" Ino scoffed once she reviewed her fifth compliment from her boyfriend's mother.

"Well maybe I am." He shrugged. He was in a rush to get out of this compliment party which he wasn't invited too.

"We got eight new shades for you guys, go check them out." Yoshino stated with a huff. She always wondered how her son didn't get more of her genetics. Spending time with him would've been much easier.

"Great, let's go Ino." He replied and took Ino by the hand to lead her to his stairs to the barren nursery.


	48. Chapter 48

"Can you move it like half an inch to the left... ugh no Shikamaru that's like two thirds of an inch! Now it's not left enough...Oh screw it bring it back to where it was before. I guess it's good enough." Ino ordered exasperatedly. The nursery was nearly perfect it was just this stupid crib. It didn't seem to fit just like Ino wanted.

The walls ended up being a mint green which both she and Shikamaru agreed upon. They had painted the first coat of green over the previous beige room together but Shikamaru did the second layer himself after it got too difficult for Ino. She did paint the closet door white as well as the window frames. Besides the Windows framed in white curtains the walls were pretty bland. Once yeah baby was born they'd buy some more decor. A cartoon pig picture hung next to the doorway which Ino had in her nursery as a baby. There was also a poster of the alphabet in bright and bold letters that Kurenai had given them, along with some baby clothes, as a gift. She figured they could teach their son the alphabet with it. Ino did admit it was pretty cute and served as a nice contrast on the pale wall. She personally wanted the color to be more vibrant with another coat of paint but Shikamaru refused to do a third and Ino was physically incapable of doing it herself.

Her bump made it almost impossible to stand for more than a few minutes. Apparently that was just another pleasure you got when your due date was only days away. She was due in two days but her doctor said to be prepared at the start of the week. The contractions had become more strong and frequent which was a sign labor was coming soon. But today they seemed much more intense strangely.

"I think it looks fine right here." Shikamaru stated. He agreed that having it against the left corner looked good but he honestly was just tired of pushing it around the room. Chouji had already helped move around most of the furniture in the room but he wasn't there now to help with Ino's demands. He swore the girl just couldn't be satisfied.

First it was deciding what wall the toy bin was going it sit against. She originally wanted it by the crib but then wanted it on the opposite side of the room by the small book shelf. Then she thought next to the rocking chair would be nice but then she went back to the bookshelf idea. Speaking of the bookshelf she was very particular on how to organize the books on it. Coloring and other activities books on the top tier along with any larger storybooks, the second tier was filled with basic books for them to read to their son, and the bottom tier was books that they bought ahead of time for him to practice reading with and any other books that were more difficult for a toddler to understand until they were a few years older.

Her organization continued to the dresser. Each drawer was also color coded for conscience by Ino. Socks, underwear for later years, and extra diapers were in the first small drawer, which was yellow. Extra clothes for later stages of development were in the small drawer beside it, that was green. Pajamas were in the bottom large drawer which was red. Shirts and bottoms were in the middle larger drawer which was blue. The couple had recieved plenty of clothes as gifts from others so they didn't really have to buy anything.

The maple wood rocking chair that Ino was currently occupying was sitting against the wall facing north. They knew this because Ino used a compass to determine this, she had read somewhere that the rocking hair should be on the north wall of a room. Where she read this Shikamaru wasn't sure and doubted it was true but gave in to her request to place it there. They had placed the crib in the left corner closest to it do easier access.

"It would be better half an inch to the right." Ino pouted back. She wished she could just get up and move the damn crib herself. It would've made the process go by faster and make it less stressful.

"How am I supposed to estimate that?" Shikamaru questioned back with a yawn. Ino had him working on this room for a month and yet she wouldn't be happy until he moved a crib half an inch. Knowing her she'd change her mind again and put his work in vain.

"There's a thing called a ruler." She replied with an unusual amount of snark. Typically Shikamaru was the one that gave the snark. He figured the increasingly close due date was pulling at her last straws of sanity. It was doing that for him.

"Would that finally make you happy?" He asked because at the end of the day the reason he put up with her nagging was to make the girl happy. He swore she always seemed to smile wider after he had frowned and pouted for her. And somehow he really didn't mind.

"Yes, very much." Ino replied with an especially cheerful grin. Maybe it wasn't overly cheerful like Shikamaru thought but just seemed that way since the past week was filled with pouts and scowls about decorating and contractions. Both of which were extremely displeasing to the blonde. Shikamaru rolled his eyes at the decorating but frowned with her whenever a particularly painful contraction would hit. Obviously he didn't like seeing her pain but seeing her grimace and even one time scream in pain felt like a personal attack. It didn't help that he couldn't do anything to aid her and just had to wait it out.

He realized that they had become very frequent and shorter in length, which meant she was very close to labor. He was both excited and terrified by that thought. On one hand his son would be in the world finally and Ino's hormones would go back to normal so she'd be much more sufferable. On the other that meant he'd be a teen parent and have to step up his game and make so many sacrifices. He prayed that he could handle it.

"Alright I'll be back in sec." He said and went to his bedroom go fetch one out of jai backpack. He never used it but he still owned one to his surprise. Ino probably shoved it in there at the start of the school year.

Ino felt the familiar sensation of her stomach hardening and squeezing like a thousands of pinches hitting her middle. Not just her abdomen, her lower back was tightening and sent shoots of pain up her spine as well. She couldn't put into words of excruciating contractions had become. Ino felt like an anaconda was wrapped around her middle constricting tighter and tighter as she winced. The worst part in Ino's eyes was that they came back so quickly now, it had been just a few minutes since the last one. And only a few minutes had passed before that one came. It was almost a routine.

Ino guessed that she must have yelped in pain since Shikamaru rushed back in empty handed. "Another one?" He asked as he kneeled in front of her and felt her baby bump. It was like a rock. She nodded with her lips pursed tightly in pain.

"Maybe it's because you've been sitting down to long." He suggested. Ino agreed by sticking her hands out for him to pull her up. The task was becoming too troublesome for her to herself unless she had to. She even made her mother help her up.

"Ow ow OW! I think...that made it _worse_!" Ino shrieked once the pain intensified into the tops of her legs. She wondered why these contractions were so much more awful than the ones just a few weeks prior.

She didn't even have to ask for Shikamaru to sit her back down. She also didn't have to ask for a price of comfort since his hand was already shut around hers. She swore it was the only thing keeping her from crying at that point.

Time was agonizingly still as the pain slowly subsided. Ino breathed a sigh of relief once it was over. That feeling like such a blessing.

The blessing got replaced by another nuisance, her overactive bladder. Ino felt like it was the first trimester again with how frequent her trips to the bathroom were. It had only been fifteen minutes, maybe twenty at most, since her last trip and she hadn't even eaten anything. It was completely ridiculous to her.

"Hey Shika I've got to pee again." She groaned and allowed him to pull her back up again. "And while I'm in there you can move that crib." She added as she shuffled to the bathroom. He mumbled something under his breath that Ino didn't bother to decipher as he walked past her to his room once more.

He arrived first, ruler in hand, and positioned on the floor for a precise measurement. He wasn't going to give anything to whine about anymore even if that meant moving a stupid crib an equally stupid half an inch to the right. By the time he got it exactly right Ino had leaned against the doorway observing the determined wrinkle between his eyebrows.

"See I told you it'd look better there." She stated with a smirk. Shikamaru didn't know what she was smirking about since it looked the same as before to him but nodded his head anyway.

"I'm going to lay down, all these contractions have tired me out." She announced and turned on her heel down to his bedroom. It was basically their shared bedroom since she spent so much time in it. That included nights of sleeping beside him on his bed. She even got to change his navy blue sheets to evergreen sheets. They suited him more in his opinion.

They were also much softer since they were flannel material and Ino cozied herself in them with ease. She wasn't surprised when Shikamaru joined her, she figured it was something his lazy bones would want. He still hadn't dropped the habit of taking every opportunity to get some shut-eye.

"Are you ready for this?" She asked as she turned on her back to get an extra ounce of comfort that her bump was not allowing.

"Nope, you?" He chuckled. He'd never be ready for it.

"Same. I just can't believe that in a couple of days we'll be parents. Of course the baby could be late but that's still only like a week or two right?" Ino replied nervously. She was scared out of her mind for everything to come. She heard labor was physical hell and could last more than eight hours. Eight hours of complete pain at that. Then there was the actual parenting part which sent her mind into panic mode. What if she was a terrible parent and her little guy hated her. There were so many things she could do wrong that it terrified her.

Another contraction hit before he could reply. Ino tossed and turned to find a comfortable position before realizing it was futile. The intensity level remained no matter how she laid.

"But it's only been a few minutes." Shikamaru muttered to himself. Why were they all stringed so closely together? They also seemed much more intense than usual.

"Yeah so?" Ino grunted as she sat up in the bed and rubbed soothing circles on her belly.

"It's just kinda strange that your getting them so much today." He replied and rubbed her back which was also killing her. Her back pain was unbearable as well and had been getting progressively worse each day.

"And it hurts like a bitch." Ino spat as she leaned back against her boyfriend. She felt her stomach loosening which meant the contraction would soon be over. In a few seconds it was much to her pleasure.

"You don't think these are labor contractions do you?" Shikamaru asked as the realization dawned. Sure the due date was two days away but those were rarely accurate. It was close enough that the idea was plausible.

"No way! I mean maybe...but my water is supposed to break or something like that?" She replied nervously. She needed those two and possibly more days to prepare. She couldn't be going into labor right now, right?

"I'm going to.. um, get my mom, you s-stay here alright." Shikamaru stated as calmly as he could which meant a very noticeable shake in his tone. That's when Ino knew that he might be right. That also sent her into a much deeper panic. She wasn't sure if that was the cause of her frantic breathing or the contraction that was slowly creeping it's way into her abdomen. It had been maybe two or three minutes at max.

Sure enough loud footsteps were thundering up the steps and that meant Yoshino Nara was here. She was next to Ino in a blur of black hair.

"Well a sign of labor is frequent and consistent contractions, Shikamaru says you're having those. I see you're having one right now, tell me on a scale of one to ten how painful is it?" Yoshino asked and brushed the bangs out Ino's eyes. Despite her abrasiveness, she had her moments of being very motherly.

"Eleven." Ino winced. No more like a hundred.

"And how long did this one start since your last one?"

"I think like three minutes."

"And was that roughly the amount of time between the other ones you've had today?" Yoshino continued like she was filling out a survey. The blonde nodded and gripped one of Shikamaru's pillows for dear life. When she focused all her attention on her contractions they hurt more than anything.

"But my water is supposed to break isn't it?" Ino questioned as the pain eased finally.

"Well actually no, mine didn't and I still went into labor obviously. It is a very nice sign to have though." She explained much to the disapointment of Ino.

"What are other signs?" Shikamaru asked. Ino had forgotten he was even in the room. Currently he was leaning against the wall looking like a fish out of water.

"The baby will position itself close to labor so that its head is by the opening so that means visits to the bathroom are more frequent." Yoshino stated. Ino's groan was heard loud and clear. Now she was really getting worried.

"I'm going to call your mother and we'll talk about it more then. I say we give it another half an hour before judging it okay. Just hang on until that sweetheart."


	49. Chapter 49

How Ino ended in the hospital bed had become a hysteric blur. Yoshino had called her mom who in turn raced to the Nara residence. Two waves of contractions had hit during that time period. Both were extremely painful and made her hate the final step of pregnancy with a burning passion. Shikamaru failed miserably to calm her down and probably ended up giving into the panic. Ino wasn't quite sure given how the room was spinning and she wished she could go back a day and live that one day forever. Her mom had arrived and was positive her daughter had started labor. They had ended up huddled in Yoshino's SUV to go the hospital. Her water had broken sometime within that ride. Ino did remember vividly that her mother had done all the talking while Shikamaru guided her through the white hallways. She didn't quite remember his comforting words but she could feel them pushing some of the pain away.

Currently however they were barely working. Rushes of anxiety flowed through her like a stream with each painful contraction. She was having her baby. It was actually happening. Ever since she saw those pink lines she wanted to just pop the baby out but now she wanted to keep it in. They'd be parents then and there would be no turning back. Ino couldn't shake the thought of being unprepared out of her mind.

"How much longer?" She heard Shikamaru ask to his mother she assumed. His voice was no longer in its' cool monotone. It had a slight shake to it jusy like his fingers that were holding her shoulders.

Shikamaru had somehow managed to position himself on the narrow hospital bed to accommodate her desire to be close to him. Handholding was not enough for her anymore. His back was pressed to the metal frame, which Ino knew must've been very uncomfortable, one long leg draped over the edge of the bed until his foot hit the tiled floor, and the other bent on her left side. Ino was leaned back against his chest which was by far more comforting than the pillow she would've laid on if Shikamaru hadn't tossed it on the floor. The tight contractions weren't made any better by actual arms hugging her so she asked for him to just hold her by her shoulders and he did just that.

"She can't begin the process until her cervix is dilated ten centimeters. The nurse said she was only at seven. So it's going to be awhile." Yoshino responded as assuring as possible. It didn't work.

"But it's already been two hours!" Ino whined. She was itching for something to punch or strangle to let out her frustrations. That pillow on the floor was looking like a nice victim.

"Actually three and a half, you've been blanking out a lot." Her mother informed and received an icy glare in return. So it had been two hours on top of that morning full of labor pains and she wasn't close to being done!

"Give me that pillow." She ordered to no one in particular. There are three people occupying the room so survey one of them could grab it for her.

"I'm afraid to ask why, but why?" Her mother asked cautiously as she picked up the stiff pillow of the floor. She began to brush it off as Ino pondered her reply.

"Because I'm very frustrated and I want to hit something. I don't think Shikamaru would appreciate being my punching bag." Ino said as she turned to give said man a sickly sweet grin. She'd resort to it of course but probably later in labor.

"But the doctor said to relax. Stress isn't good for the process." Shikamaru objected and tightened his grip on her shoulders. "But please don't hit me." He quickly added. She hadn't hit him in awhile and it was really starting to grow on him.

"How on earth am I supposed to relax when I'm in labor?" She questioned accusingly. She had become more agitated with him as the day went on. She wished he had to deal with this unbearable pain instead of her, or at least share the burden with her. It was completely unfair.

"Getting yourself worked up with punching an innocent pillow isn't going to relax you. How about a nap?" Yoshino suggested. She felt like she was looking at a mirror of her past. She acted exactly the same during her labor with Shikamaru. Shikaku had given her the pillow though.

"Of course you're going to take the pillow's side!" Ino's spat defensively. She knew she acting irrationally now but she also didn't care. She was losing her mind just waiting around.

"I've got an idea." Shikamaru announced and slid his phone out of his jacket pocket. Ino strained her neck to look back at what he was doing and wasn't any more clarified by it. He was sliding his finger across the touch screen until he found the icon he was apparently looking for and tapped it. Then he handed it over to her.

"Beat my score." He ordered as she inspected the app. It was some puzzle game she never bothered with getting herself. It did seem like a perfect match for his genius brain however.

"But it's only twenty seven." She replied skeptically. It seemed like such a low number for the genius to get on a puzzle since those were his forte.

"Play it before you mock it. You get a point for every puzzle you solve but when you fail one you'll have to start over."

With a quick huff Ino began the app. The first was a picture puzzle with four pieces missing. _Piece of cake_. She successfully matched the pieces to the gaps and earned a point. "They're going to get harder." Shikamaru sighed when she stuck her tongue triumphantly at him.

Ino had gone through five more puzzles, one of which being a riddle and that irked her. "Puzzles and riddles are two different things." She grumbled after she had picked the correct answer.

"It's a mix of things." He shrugged in reply. He was glad she couldn't tell he was smirking at her. She wouldn't be smug for much longer.

"It's stupid." She snapped back and clicked on the next level. Shikamaru had to resist every urge to not chuckle when she stiffened in surprise. The first time he got to the level he was surprised too. It had a very short timer and a seemingly difficult puzzle. The second time around he realized how easy it actually was.

"That's so unfair." Ino pouted when she, as he suspected, failed the level.

"Hm, only level seven. Tsk, tsk you're going to have to try harder to beat twenty seven." He provoked with his usual lopsided smirk. The smile only grew when he saw Ino's reddened and puffed cheeks in anger. He always got a kick out of how easily provoked she was. It was so easy to push her buttons that it was almost impossible not to. Well at least to him.

"Oh put a lid on it. That was just my first try." She groaned and started the app once more. He didn't miss the ambitious twinkle in her blue eyes.

Yoshino raised an eyebrow at her son from her seat across the hospital room. Even after raising him for seventeen years some of his strategies still made no sense to her. Her husband was the same way. Why was having his very distressed girlfriend play some game on his phone his grand idea at calming her? He still seemed impressed with his handiwork so she kept silent. She knew she was missing something.

She finally realized his plan forty five minutes in when Ino was completely absorbed in the game. He had played up her competitive spirit so she focused all her attention on the game instead of the pain. It used her frustration in a more positive light to fuel her ambition of a goal. Yoshino knew it was probably unattainable given who she was trying to beat. However this gave the other residents of the room plenty of peace and quiet now being free of her nagging and whining. Every once in awhile Ino would cheer about a higher score and Shikamaru would remind her of his score and she'd go back to playing. She hadn't complained about contractions once. Sure she grunted and winced but no companions followed. It brought relaxation to everyone in the room.

"Nice job Shikamaru." Ino's mother said when she returned with two cups of coffee. Yoshino accepted one as her friend began to sip on her hot beverage.

"Thank you Ms. Yamanaka. Hey will I ever be able to call you by your first name, or at least learn it?" He responded. It had occurred to him that he hadn't even learned her name even after knowing her since he was a kid. It was the polar opposite with his mother and Ino, they were so casual with each other you'd think they were best friends.

"Nope." The woman denied with a smirk. The boy rolled his eyes and the focused them back on Ino. She was on level nineteen already. Of course she had restated triple that but the feat was still impressive.

"You two really should have a closer relationship for Ino's sake." Yoshino stated once she grew bored of the quiet. Compared to her bond with Ino, they seemed like strangers. They didn't dislike each other and were always civil but they never crossed over to friendliness. Ino has complained about it enough times that it obviously bothered her.

"What do you mean?" Ms. Yamanaka asked. Sure she wasn't going to invite Shikamaru over for tea but she didn't think their relationship was poor.

"Well you two just aren't very close. Maybe you should spend more time getting to know each other. Ino's complained about before since you are her most important people. I'm probably fourth behind Chouji, soon to be fifth after the baby." She explained with a a shrug.

"The only thing we have in common is you know who, so of course we aren't very close." Shikamaru snorted. It felt stupid to bring up this issue when Ino was in labor and could potentially get upset about it. They'd handle it later, preferably when Ino was out of earshot. Although she was focused on her game, if she heard her name too many times that concentration would be broken.

"Then find something else in common. It can't be that hard." Yoshino replied and carefully sipped her still very hot coffee.

"Oh stay out of it!" They barked in unison at the nosy mother. Their eyes widened in unison as well before Ino's mother broke out laughing.

"Damn it you guys! You made me lose on level twenty!" Ino exclaimed. Her arm lifted to throw the phone on the floor but she caught herself in time after realizing it wasn't her phone to shatter. Her frustration still got across to the group.

"Sorry sweetie." Her mother hastily apologized to which Yoshino nodded in agreement.

"That's better than last time." Shikamaru sighed and lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. His plan was crumbling all because of his loud mouth mother and he was pissed. A glare was even shot her way.

"I don't care I'm done with it." She snapped and handed him his phone back.

"You sure you don't want one more try?" He asked hopefully. Even just a few more minutes of relaxation would be nice. His job as the support guy was so nice when she was preoccupied, in fact he didn't have to anything but give her the phone.

"It's hurting my brain." She huffed and crossed her arms. She promptly winced when the pressure only added to a contraction. She despised how intense and long they were getting. She couldn't bear to think of how evil they would be during the final stage, pushing that baby out.

"So what else do you want to do? I don't know how much more of this stage you have left." He asked cautiously. He could tell she was getting angry and that was far from what she needed to be. His mind was already plotting ideas to calm her again.

"Can we take a walk around, my foot fell asleep and it's very annoying." She asked even though she's do it anyway without his permission.

"Are you sure?" He asked as he inched his way off the bed.

"It's actually pretty helpful to switch positions once in awhile." His mother informed. Ino smirked as he aided her off the bed.

She immediately latched onto his arm for support since her sense of Gravity was so screwed up she didn't even know if it existed anymore. As much as the idea of giving birth scared her she was also relived the baby bump was going to be gone soon.

"Where to?"

"Maybe just to the water fountain. I'm thirsty." She suggested and tugged his arm in the direction of the door. He quickly took the lead from there but kept a very slow pace that was just manageable for the labor induced teen.

"We'll go slow." He assured and pecked the platinum locks on the top of her head. She nodded and let him lead her out the door his mother was holding open for them.

"Be careful with her." She warned in his ear. He nodded with an audible gulp and continued to the hallway. The water fountain was only a few paces from the door so he didn't worry about getting her there in one piece.

"How are you going to reach done far enough to even get the water?" He grumbled when they came to it. Ino couldn't even stand up by herself so how could she bend down?

She ignored him and tried several positions in an effort to get low enough. All of which failed to no surprise. As soon as she growled at it Shikamaru knew he had to think fast. The vending machine dos the hall seemed like a good option.

"Wait here." He ordered and Ino waved a hand signaling she'd listen as she continued to bend down. After losing her support beam she leaned against the wall and watched as he speed walked down the hall. It was quite a site to see him walk quickly or even at a normal pace.

Ino beamed when her boyfriend returned with a bottled water for her. The cap was already loose so she didn't have to get frustrated by that either.

"You're so smart!" She smiled and took a gulp of the beverage. It took her focus off the contraction that crept up on her again.

"I know." He smirked and she would've punched him if she felt up to it. Fortunately for him she did not. "Don't be a smartass." She scolded and looped her free arm around his waist to steady herself once more.

She craved his support and knew she wouldn't have been able to make it this far without it. She also knew she'd need it for the actual birth and all the years after. It wasn't going to leave her if she had anything to say about it, and she most certainly did.

"Just trying to lighten the mood." He replied calmly as ever. Their current doctor approached them as they reached the door of the room.

"We should check your dilation again." He stated as he followed them in.

"My contractions are a lot closer together." Ino informed as the doctor checked her dilation. She knew he wasn't being a pervertbit it still creeped her out. She was completely over this whole pregnancy.

"Well that's because you're ready to go into the final stage."


	50. Chapter 50

Ino's eyes practically popped out of their sockets when her doctor told her she was in the final stage of labor. She had so many questions she wanted to ask but only a small gasp came out. Was she ready to this? What would it feel like? How long would it be? What's it like to hold an infant? What happens after he's born? There were too many questions pushing their way into her mind as she was wheeled into a different room. Waves of nausea panged against her chest as she was met with dozens of machines. She wondered if natural birth would've been better.

"It's going to be okay Ino." Shikamaru smoothed as he rubbed his thumb into the palm of her hand. Normally hiding emotions wasn't difficult for him but the panic completely shut his mind down. He wanted to smack himself for being a complete mess while supporting an even more freaked out pregnant girl. If she wasn't so out of focus she would've made a snide remark about it.

"How-argh! How do you know?" She screeched back at him. The volume was partially caused by a painful contraction squeezing the air out of her and the other was the endless amount of frustration she held. He couldn't understand an ounce of her pain yet was trying to tell her it'd be okay.

"Because you're one of the strongest people I know. You can do it." He replied softly. Most of the lessons the stupid birthing classes they attended had disappeared from his mind but the one that stayed was be as calm as humanly possible and then some. He scoffed at it before since he was always calm but now all the willpower in world couldn't stop his knee from bobbing and his hands from shaking. He would have to fake it and acting was definitely his strong point.

"But I'm scared and it hurts so, so, so bad." She rebuttled and squeezed his hand tighter. She thought it was safe to assume that his blood flow was getting cut off but her grip was like iron. Everything else in the room was overwhelming and the pain only worsened when she shut her eyes. His feeling of his hand cradling hers was the only comforting thing and she wanted to feel every ounce of it.

"It's going to be over soon. Mom says this is the shortest part." He assured and discarded the stool the doctor gave him to kneel beside her.

Ino couldn't ask his mother for clarification on the subject but decided to believe him anyway. He wasn't wrong often. Since the room was so small and filled with machines and nurses rushing in and out, Shikamaru only could stay with her while their mothers waited outside. She wanted her mother's advice but she had left with a reassuring smile. She had whispered something, probably guidance, to Shikamaru as well.

"Would you like the epidural?" A new doctor, an anethistiast, asked while holding a needle. Ino never feared needles until that moment. She could feel the color leaving her cheeks as she gulped to ease the nausea it was adding to her already weak body.

"What does that do again?" She asked. Her mind was blank, so blank that she had to have his reply repeated to be able to focus on it.

"It numbs you from the waist down. Most women use it to ease the pain." He explained calmly. That made the needle less unsettling. Anything that could help the torturous pain was a friend to her.

"I guess..." She mumbled.

"Just a heads up, it's going to sting." He stated as he helped to adjust her into a sitting position to insert the needle into her lower back. The grip on his hand tightened once more and he wondered if the pressure would make it pop like a balloon.

"It's not going to be that bad, relax Ino." Shikamaru soothed and brushed a strand of sweaty blonde hair behind her ear. Her panic was very evident on her face as he gave her a light grin. It didn't help. He inwardly cursed at how terrified she was and how little was changing that.

He could've laughed at his own words since seconds after Ino's piercing scream of pain followed. He couldn't feel his hand remotely anymore but didn't have the heart to wrestle it free.

"You call that a _sting_!" Shikamaru shouted what he no doubt knew Ino was thinking but was in too much pain to say. He glared at the anethistiast just like she would've as well. He even believed his to be more pissed than hers'.

"Everyone has different pain tolerances." He said sympathetically.

"I-It's okay Shikamaru. It's going away." Ino sighed and released some of the pressure of her grip. Thankfully she wasn't lying. The stinging sensation was slowly leaving her spine.

"Good." He replied and used his free hand's thumb to wipe away the few stray tears that fell in the pain. He was relieved that the discomfort was also leaving her face.

"So once that has fully kicked in we can start the pushing process." One of the nurses informed as she applied a drip on Ino's other hand. "Don't worry about this its just to keep your blood pressure healthy." She added when Ino frowned at it.

"You ready for this Shikamaru?" She asked as tingles coated below her waist. She had never been numb before and wasn't fond of the idea. She liked complete control after all. However if it could decrease the pain then it was alright in her book.

"Ready to get this part over with." He yawned. They were in the early hours of the day and he desperately wanted to sleep.

"So am I. Are you excited?" She continued and flashed him a grin. It had been the first smile all day. Frowning did not suit her.

"Of course I am." He replied. He had been excited for the baby since Ino had announced she wanted to keep it. The nerves of the delivery were just taking up the majority of his attention. Those nerves only increased when he saw her eyes widen.

"But what if I die? I mean lots of people die in childbirth don't they? Then you'll be a single father and then he could develop mommy issues. Or you could get remarried and he'd have a stepmom and he'd forget all about me! And what if-" Ino's rapid fire realization was interrupted by a very deep groan.

"You're not going to die Ino." He sighed. He wondered where she even got these thoughts from.

"Okay fine but what if I tear? What then? You'll probably never want to have sex with me again but you're a man so you'll want to have sex. Then you'll hire a prostitute or something and she'll make you so happy and you'll hate me-"

"Ino I don't know why you could possibly think I'd cheat on you in any situation. But please shut up about it." He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. She was an extremely, unbearably troublesome woman.

"I know, I know. You know I ramble when I'm nervous." Ino huffed.

"Yes I do. How are the legs?"

"I can't feel them. Wait...I can't feel them!" Ino replied in shock. That meant she was nearing the finish line of this hellish experience.

"Don't worry I'm right here." Shikamaru stated as nurses surrounded the bed. She turned her head to nod at him and give a nervous smile.

"Are you ready kid?" The doctor asked.

"As I'll ever be."

* * *

Shikamaru peered back at the wall clock, half an hour had gone by since Ino began pushing. Every once he snuck a look at the clock to calm himself before returning back to calm Ino. It helped somewhat. The initial painful grunts and yelps were now replaced with moans and gasps. He wasn't sure if they actually were better but he decided to say that they were. Her constant whining and spitting of insults and cursed remained though.

"Dammit Shika why did you do this to me!" She grunted as she lurched forward again. Two of the nurses were trying to keep her in a still upright position and Shikamaru knew they were losing.

He had learned to brush off her comments and continue ravishing her with reassurance. "You're doing great!" He complimented and offered a lopsided grin. She didn't see it but didn't yell at him either.

"Oh just come out already!" She yelled. Her anger pointed at their baby. She flip flopped between insulting him and the baby. Sometimes she's just curse at the pain.

"_Fuck_!"

"You're so close, just a little more." He continued.

"Argh! Shut up Shikamaru!" She barked and lurched forward once more.

"He's right, you're baby's coming." The doctor stated cool as a cucumber. Shikamaru wondered how he could do it with all the commotion Ino was making.

"Oh thank good-OW!" She gasped. The pain even with numb legs was unbearable. But apparently she was doing better than a lot of people-she hadn't passed out once. _Take that universe!_

"Keep pushing." A nurse ordered and Ino shot her a glare. All they kept saying was keep pushing, she got the memo. Maybe she'd be nicer if they gave her actual advice.

"Just push a little harder." Shikamaru suggested.

"I will snap you're hand off if you keep talking!" Ino snapped back. With the circulation cutting grip she had on his hand that idea was entirely possible to him.

"There's a head, you're at the final pushes." The doctor announced. Ino breathed a sigh of relief then another.

"I can do this." She whispered. Three more pushes and there is a high pitched wail.


	51. Epilogue

Hi readers Paige here! Before the final chapter, yes this will be the final chapter, I wanted to clarify a few things. Firstly sorry for the almost two month long update. I was just very busy these past months and I also had so many ideas to string together for this chapter so it took awhile to write. I also just wanted to prolong the inevitable ending of this fanfic because I've worked so hard on it for so long that it feels so weird to end it completely. I was also working on a new Shikaino piece which I'll post within a few weeks probably. I'm taking extra time to make the chapters at least 5000 words and it's darker than this one and my other fanfic so I've really been trying to make it the best it can be. Really long explanation but that's why this update has taken so long and I'm sorry for it.

Also for who may have been confused I deleted my author note "chapter" since it has no need anymore but I didn't realize it counted as an update that you would be altered to. If I had I would've done it at the same time this chapter was up so I'm really sorry for the false update. On the bright inside it put me in high gear to get this chapter done since it was about only half way done.

You guys have been so amazing and supportive of the story and I want to thank each and everyone of you for being the best readers I could've asked for!

So without further ado here's Between the Lines final chapter!

* * *

Ino didn't know how much time had passed once her baby was placed into her arms. Maybe it had been a few minutes or maybe it has been hours. Maybe time had frozen the moment her blue eyes met his little crumpled crying face. The world had been tuned out at that point. All the screaming and anxiety of labor escaped through every pore in her body and was replaced by a veil of bliss. The little body resting in her arms had made every tear and sweat droplet worth it. Those nine months of hell had served their purpose to its full extent.

He was perfect. His small little body wrapped up in soft white cloth lay in the safe arms of his mother as she smiled down at him. The crying had stopped and now he slept peacefully lulled by her heartbeat. Although that had only been after blinking his large orbs of hazel at her and the rest of the room. She swore he gave a tiny smile at her before falling asleep. Everything about him was tiny from his torso to his fingers to his mouth and ears. The only large thing he had were Ino's doll-like round eyes.

Ino was vaguely aware of other presences in the hospital room. Her mom and Yoshino had moved closer to the bed and were most likely tearing up at the sight. Chouji arrived sometime ago and she definitely knew he was in tears. Shikamaru was standing next to her bedside looking down on their baby. He had smoothed back her sweaty bangs and planted a delicate kiss on her forehead as if she was the baby in the room. She had no doubt he was as in love with their baby as she was. He was probably losing his composure too, although that was just a theory as she hadn't looked at him yet. Their baby had her full attention.

Every once in awhile the baby would squirm or let out a light yawn or a coo. Ino's smile grew every time and she wondered if she'd ever lose it.

She must've whispered her love to him a hundred times but the words still rolled off her lips with pleasure. Nothing felt more natural to her. She never wanted to let him go but her time had come. The baby did have another parent after all.

"You want to hold him?" Ino asked softly as to not wake the baby while looking up at his father and her other love. His deep chocolate eyes were glazed over as if he was about to cry in pure joy. Ino's assumption had been correct. The look of longing he was giving their baby gave away the answer even before he gave a tiny nod. Ino knew he was holding in all the emotions he was no doubt experiencing. It must be the most he had ever had to deal with at one time.

The pang in her heart was minuscule to the joy that beat inside her as she handed the little bundle of baby to Shikamaru. She smirked at the light shake at his hands as he cautiously accepted their child as if he was unworthy of the honor.

The baby stirred ever so slightly at the new unfamiliar touch and Shikamaru looked frantically back at Ino as if asking _did I do something wrong? _She shook her head and nodded back to the creature in his arms. His eyes had opened and were peering into his father's blankly.

Shikamaru noted how even though they were a different color their son's eyes were certainly Ino's down to the sparkle that had a permanent place in them. They were smiling at him just like hers did whenever she looked at him. His complexion was fair like his mother's as well but Shikamaru could tell by the tiny tuft of dark hair on his head some of his genes had passed on. He and Ino really and created a miracle.

Ino scooted over on the hospital bed for them to sit beside her which he did promptly.

"Hi little guy, I'm your daddy," He croaked out as he rocked the baby in his arms. He shifted towards Ino and said, "And this is your mommy."

The baby responded with a little giggle and a smile that could wipe of a frown of the grumpiest man alive. Shikamaru felt his lip quiver and knew he could barely contain the happy tears in his eyes. He has always hated crying mainly since it was hardly a nice feeling. He never really cried out of joy so the feeling was scarily foreign. He didn't know if he could accept it.

His blonde girlfriend had already made that choice for him though. She had wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and rested her head in the crook of his shoulder after planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Just cry dumbass." She whispered and he felt a wet sensation on his collarbone. _Well if she's crying then I guess I can to._ He sighed and released the last wall that was keeping his river of tears from flowing.

Ino now was content after feeling a few teardrops on her hands and finally let the exhaustion sink in. Labor had taken an immeasurable toll on her and after holding her baby and seeing her boyfriend do the same, she felt it was time to get some rest.

Shikamaru felt her arms removing themselves from his neck but couldn't let his gaze fall anywhere but the baby in his arms. He knew she was fatigued and decided rest was best for her so he made no extra effort to make it a big deal. Instead he invited the other members of the room over to see his child in all his glory.

"He's so adorable." Chouji said in awe and waved a finger at the baby. The baby reached up his tiny hand an inch trying to grab it. Chouji lowered it and allowed the infant to catch it in all his fingers before losing interest and returning hai attention back to his father.

"So precious." His mother added as he looked over Shikamaru's shoulder. She had never been so proud of her lazy son in all her life.

Ino's mother burst into tears of utter pride as she saw the treasure her daughter along with the boy she trusted with said daughter's life has made. Shikamaru noted that she was probably the one that gave Ino her overactive emotions.

Soon enough in true fashion of his father the baby decided the undivided attention bored him and fell asleep once more. Shikamaru decided to give his son back to his slumbering girlfriend so they could sleep together. He smiled when Ino's arm immediately stretched over the baby as soon as Shikamaru placed him beside her. So that's maternal instinct, he thought.

"So have you two found a name for him yet?" Ino's mother asked him. She immediately realized he was too enamored with the pair on the hospital bed. She never knew he was so softhearted but didn't mind it either.

Shikamaru had never been more mesmerized by a sight than the one before his eyes. He loved both of them so much that he wondered if it was possible to love them more. Their radiance filled the room from wall to wall and warmed the previously tense air.

Ino awoke first and sat up to see all eyes on her. She gently lifted her baby once more and cradled him in her arms. She loved the feeling of it.

"Have you thought of a name yet?" Her mother asked once again. Ino looked over at Shikamaru and he nodded back at her.

"Sora." She announced softly. Upon hearing his name Sora opened his eyes up at the pair and grinned at endearing baby smile.

* * *

"My my we haven't been able to do this for awhile." Ino smirked deviously as she stepped gently on Shikamaru's toes to reach his height easier. Their bodies pressed together without a bump between them was a delightful nostalgic feeling. It had taken three months but it was worth it. Shikamaru's arms held her waist and kept her as close as humanly possible. Her arms around his neck did the same.

"It's been too long." He smirked back and without another breath captured her lips in his. All the lust the two had bottled up during the pregnancy unleashed as their lips danced in perfect harmony.

Ino pulled back to catch her breath through heavy panting, "Oh yes it has been." She smiled at latched her lips onto his once more. He happily accepted.

He didn't give her warning before lifting her up and settling her back down on his sofa then hovering over her.

"Someone's feeling dominant hm?" Ino smirked as he began trailing kisses down her body. She could feel him smirking back as he pressed his lips to her hip. His hand followed and gripped the hem of her blouse. She was thankful that she never had to wear those maturnity closes ever again. Well at least not for several years.

Personally, Shikamaru would've rathered to just tear the flimsy fabric off her body but knew the horrendous consequences Ino would bring if he ruined her shirt. Thus he allowed her to slide it off her torso at an utterly slow pace that drove his hormones crazy. She was doing on purpose, that much he knew for sure. She loved driving his insanity to its brink.

"Ino..." He warned when the fabric snagged on the underwire of her bra and she lightly began to tug it. She could've easily detached it but choice to make it even more painful to watch.

She giggled from behind the wall of lavender and pulled it off to expose the freshly bought lace black bra. His eyes widened and his gulp was audible. If the advice his father had given him years ago was right then it meant his lust would be satisfied.

"The underwear matches." She whispered in his ear, and delightful goosebumps coated his arms and spine. His hand flew to her denim skirt and decided to do the deed himself. Well it was supposed to until she caught his wrist.

"You first." She commanded. He looked down at himself in confusion. His shirt has been discarded what felt like ages ago. It wasn't until her eyes trailed down to his lower half that he knew what she meant. The devilish grin on her glossed lips confirmed it.

"And you call me horny." He sighed and proceeded to slip off his belt. His first instinct was to be as painfully slow as she was but his second instinct took over. He wanted to get to the sex as soon as possible. So he stripped to his boxers as fast as humanly possible.

Ino allowed him to slip the skirt down her long, smooth legs and drop to the floor.

"So where do you keep the condoms?" She asked as she moved to straddle him. With passion filled eyes, Shikamaru lifted them off the sofa and moved them to where it all started. Except this time they were ready.

* * *

Ino and Shikamaru groaned in unison as yet another wail came from the nursery. It had been the third time that night. The shrieks had lessened considerably with each month that passed but the phase was far from over.

"Your turn." Shikamaru grumbled and patted her shoulder to get her to move. The sleep deprivation had beaten even Ino's most troublesome feats for the number one spot of things that annoyed him. It served absolutely no positive purpose. It made him tired and irritable. It made Ino tired and even more irritable which made his life more troublesome. Couldn't Sora give them one night of peace? No, because like his mother he liked attention and getting cuddled.

"Fine." She yawned and rose from Shikamaru's bed. The Nara household has become the permanent howl for the pair and Sora. Ino's mother moved in too and the Yamanaka house was up for sale. It still felt so strange to be in his house, well their house. She'd spent so much time in it before that she knew it by memory but her old home was where she grew up and made up her past. It was almost poetic that she left her past home to be in her new home and future.

The nursery was next door and just as Ino had predicted Sora was squirming in his plush blanket. He had stopped crying and even giggled when Ino lifted him up and held him close to her chest as she moved to the rocking chair.

It didn't take much to lull him back to sleep, so just a few rocks in the chair usually did the trick. Ino noted how he became more active with each month. He started out barely moving and now could fidget his arms and legs as desired. His little fists felt like little tickled at most when he hit her chest to get her attention if it ever trailed away from him. He still hasn't mastered crawling of sitting up though. She understood the term baby steps much better.

"You've gotta go to sleep baby." She whispered as she slowly rocked the chair back and forth. It was making her own eyes droop as well.

The cooes for fainter and fainter until Ino looked down and saw his eyes had shut and had fallen asleep once more. With a sigh of relief, Ino kissed his for head and gently placed him back in his crib. She estimated they'd have an hour of peace until he'd awake again.

Ino wasn't surprised when she tiptoed back into the bedroom to see her boyfriend slumbering away. If her eyes didn't feel so heavy she would've rolled them. Still she nestled herself back in the covers beside him and pulled his arm over her.

The peircing wail an hour later started the cycle over again.

"Your turn." Ino ordered and lifted his arm off her. She knew he'd use it as an excuse to not get up. His lazy bones had become progressively less motivated as the night wore on.

"Troublesome..." He groaned but still got up anyway.

* * *

Ino shut the car trunk with a hesitant thud. It was the day she had been loathing with a shred of excitement. It was the day she went to her new college room and had to leave her family behind for the first time. She's visit every weekend and on any off days since it was only two hours away but it still left a pang on her heart.

All her bags were packed and loaded into the Nara's mini van. Shikamaru decided he'd be the one to drive her to the college and faced no complaints for it. Ino didn't mind the idea either.

The August air was sticky and burning but Ino still ran into the arms of all the people that gathered to see her leave. Karin was first and eagerly hugged the girl that had befriended her when no one else would.

"Don't get so mushy Ino, we'll stay in touch." She scoffed when Ino's eyes began to water. Ino nodded back and moved Yoshino.

"I'll make sure Shikamaru's life stays as troublesome as possible in your absence. And I'll make Sora's the opposite." She stated reassuringly. Shikamaru rolled his eyes from his position leaned against the car.

Hearing their names made Ino's eyes water to their very brim and she felt them about to slip. Her goal was to make through all the people before losing it but realized that was close to impossible.

Chouji had her in a bear hug as soon as Yoshino released her. He was near the top of the list of people she'd miss most. From his comforting words to geh warmth he also radiated, she knew it'd hurt terribly to lose him.

"I'm going to miss you so much." She croaked.

"Same here." He replied and she felt him crying. It only made sense for him to be the first. It only made her strength lower to stop the tears, yet she was holding strong.

Then it was down to the final two people;her mom and Sora. Her mother was holding the now nine month baby who surprisingly was awake. He slept more than the average baby and Ino knew who to blame for that.

As soon her mother handed him to her and her blue eyes met his hazel, she was a mess. Sora was a part of her now and her little bundle of joy. Seeing him grow up before her eyes have her so much pride and her love for him grew with it. He still needed her but she needed him so much more. He taught her the true life lessons she'd need.

Having tons of friends didn't matter if they weren't loyal. Popularity could come and go. You can't act like a grown up if you can't take responsibility for your actions or take steps to correct them. One screw up isn't the end of the world. Make lemonade out of lemons instead of trying to throw them away. Things aren't always what they seem. Ino made a note to write them all down when she got to her dorm.

A tiny body entirely reliant on others that was spawned by recklessness taught her these without even meaning to. And she knew he was going to teach her another as soon as she got in that car. Making hard decisions over easy ones lead to more fulfilling paths. College would be her best way of getting a job to provide for him so she had to do it even if it meant not seeing her baby's face everyday. She didn't really need to do since it was etched into her memory anyway. She could never for why him even for a minute.

Ino was forced to one arm hug he's mother since Sora was keeping a death lock on her tank top. He must have sensed what was going on, Ino thought.

"Make sure to live a little while you're there." Her mother advised. She didn't want Ino to be constantly fretting over academics or her family. She still was a young woman after all.

"I'll try." Ino hiccuped in reply.

"And don't worry about us, we'll manage without you just fine." Her mother added as an afterthought. Ino only nodded before attempting to give her Sora again. He didn't want to let go. He got that trait from both his parents.

"It's okay Sora." She soothed as he grew grumpier. She knew he was about to throw a fit if she didn't calm him. So she did what always perked him up which was making the silliest faces she could imagine. First came the fishy face that made his frown turn neutral. Second was sticking her tongue out and blowing raspberries which made him giggle. She finished with a peek-a-boo that kept his mood happy. It was nice that he was able to switch moods so quickly. She gave him a small wave before heading back to the car.

"Ready?" Shikamaru asked as she wiped her eyes dry of tears. She nodded as confidently as she could.

"I hate to say this but bye everybody!" Ino yelled with a wave and entered the vehicle. Shikamaru followed and started up the car.

"You have to put it in drive." Ino informed.

"I know, I have my license." He quipped back and help up the card.

"Yeah you got it last week." She bickered back. It was nice to know their childish banter hadn't seized yet.

* * *

"Looks like your all set." Shikamaru stated as he examined Ino's now full dorm. Her roommate has yet to arrive so it extended his stay much longer than planned. He didn't mind in the slightest. He had helped her unpack and organize until her side of the room met her standards.

Her massive floral bedspread covered her bed as well as the matching pillows. As much as Ino wanted to bring her huge collection of stuffed animals with her, she did not want to face ridicule for it so she left most of them with Shikamaru. He reluctantly agreed to keep them in his room, hidden in his closet. The one she brought was a large stuffed pig her father got her when she was a child. She wanted a memento of his to keep with her.

All her clothes were neatly hung in her closet just like they would be in her house. Photographs of her and the people she loved were framed and sitting on the desk provided. There was one of her and her parents. Next was a picture of her, Chouji, and Shikamaru that they took at graduation. Shikamaru even smiled _willingly_ for it. Shikamaru hinted, albeit very heavily, that he wanted another picture of himself in her room to prove she was taken. So she picked one they took on their very first date after Sora was born. Sora had his own personal photo from when he was six months old grinning at the camera.

Ino didn't care if people scorned her for having a baby. She loved her baby more than anything else in the world and didn't view him as anything but a precious treasure. She'd beam about him if someone asked about him and give as many details as the other person could handle. If someone didn't want to be her friend because of it then she didn't want to be their's.

"I guess that means you should be heading back huh?" She replied back sadly. She knew goodbye would have to come eventfully but wanted to ward away as long as possible. She loved him so much and after having their lives so intertwined with each other's for so long it didn't feel real to release them on their own paths.

"Yeah it's getting late. Mom'll have a fit if I come back after Sora's in bed." He relied and headed for the door.

"Wait! Aren't you going to say goodbye or something?" Ino inquired when he reached for the door handle without another word.

"What's the point? It'll just make us upset and we'll see you this weekend anyway." He retorted boredly. He knew was beginning to sound cruel but he wasn't lying. The last they needed was to get emotional about it. Ino was more prone to it but this time he knew if she started crying then so would he. To make matters worse if she started crying then he wouldn't be able to leave until she calmed down which could take anywhere from a few minutes to hours.

"But we still have to do it!" She shot back and grabbed his wrist.

"Promise you won't cry?" He asked as he sat on her bed. It was most likely a useless question since she'd probably cry unless she had run out of tears from earlier.

"Nope, it's not like goodbye forever." Ino pouted. She didn't cry _that_ much anymore. It was the pregnancy hormones, just the pregnancy hormones.

"Alright then so I'll see this weekend." He said with a slow nod.

"Of course. Remember Sora doesn't like sweet potatoes, so stop your mom from buying them. She does it everytime and he just hates them. Bananas are his favorite." Ino replied quickly.

"You know she's going to keep buying them no matter what I say. She doesn't like picky eaters." Shikamaru groaned at the newly changed subject. He obliged to it since he knew Ino wasn't ready for him to walk out the door yet.

"Well I'm his mother. Tell her that."

"Sure then you can start planning my funeral." He chuckled.

"Fine then this weekend I'll tell her. Also remember give him his formula before all naps, he's going to need it now since I can't feed him myself." Ino continued. She looked at the wall clock with distraught eyes. This small talk wasn't going to last long.

"I know how to take care of our child. But I do have to get back to him soon, so is there anything else?" He asked.

Ino's eyes fell from the clock and into his dark brown pair. Time had run out. She couldn't complain as she had prolonged it as long as possible. Instead of pouting her lips and whining for another hour together, she flashed him to both their surprises a genuine, warm smile and asked, "Can I get a goodbye kiss?"

His hand cupped the side of her face and leaned in sync with her until he felt a familiar soft pressure on his lips. She was smiling against him. And just as he tasted the sweetness of her lip gloss on his tongue to deepen the kiss, she pulled away. When he opened his eyes, the smile remained as she lightly shook her head.

"Love you." She said and pecked his cheek. She felt the light brushing of stubble on it. She'd have to see him with the scruff more grown out to see if she liked the more mature look. She figured it'd match his personality more.

"I'll shave later." He mumbled as sensing her eyes on his slightly disheveled cheek.

"No, keep it. I want to see it grown out more." She objected and poked it.

"You said you didn't want me to." He replied hesitantly. Consistency was not her forte but she was very strict to what looks good and what doesn't. It's why she hasn't cut her hair above her elbows since she was twelve or why she never grew her bangs out. It took her days to finally decide to end a wing to the end of her eyeliner and change from cherry to strawberry lip gloss.

"Well I say I don't want a lot of things but then I end up loving them." Ino replied and continued to stroke his cheek. She'd miss waking up with it pressed against her shoulder.

She didn't want Shikamaru as anything more than a friend and at one point out of her life entirely. She couldn't imagine where'd she be if either of those had happened. The love that fueled her veins when he was near was genuine and couldn't be replaced.

She didn't want Sora at first and even contemplated killing him when she first found out. She wasn't sure if she would've walked away from that bus to the clinic if she hadn't been interrupted first. By Shikamaru no less. But as the months passed and she spent more time with the little guy she grew to love him more than anything else.

All Ino had to look beyond what was on the surface to learn what it truly meant to her. All she had to do was read between the lines.

**Fin**


End file.
